Cameron's Little Package
by pennmill
Summary: Re-posted upon request. Followup to Cameron's Hidden Secret. This time Cameron is pregnant with House's baby but a visit from Stacy Warner creates catastrophe for our favorite couple. Can they survive the injuries that Stacy inflicts upon them?
1. Chapter 1

_**Up to Chapter 6**_

_**This is a continuation of my previous fan fic titled **_

"_**Cameron's Hidden Secret." **_

_**It picks up at the end of Chapter 33 and will work as a sort of bridge to the Epilogue.**_

_**I hope you enjoy!**_

**CAMERON'S LITTLE PACKAGE**

**Chapter 1**

_**"So, what "is" your answer about the sex?"**_

_**"You're a doctor, make me better," she told him, suddenly not feeling quite as nauseous as she had earlier. **_

_**"Whatever you say, green eyes."**_

The thought of making love to Cameron was actually a bit intimidating. House was as nervous as a school boy as he looked down at her delicate features. This was entirely new to him. He had never made love to a pregnant woman before and he was a little apprehensive. He didn't want to hurt her and he didn't want to do anything to harm the baby growing inside of her. And yet, being a doctor, he knew better. But this was different–this was Cameron. He watched her look back at him with a smile that convinced him everything was going to be alright.

Cameron reached to his neck and pulled him down to meet her kiss. Her urgency was overriding his apprehension and upon first touch, his tongue pressed into her mouth, searching, investigating, tantalizing. He moaned deeply as he rolled on top of her and she spread her legs to him immediately as his rigid member pressed intimately against her. Her hips began moving against him instantly, even through the silkiness of her hip hugging panties, and the cotton of his boxers, he could feel her heat, feel her wetness against him. His arms went around her, almost crushing her in his embrace as his mouth mated with hers. God, it had been so long since he held her in his arms.

"I. . .I don't want to hurt you," House breathed against her mouth before lifting himself slightly to look at her. He moved until he was sitting on his feet, but still pressed against her, his hands moving to hold onto her hips.

Cameron gazed at him, half in confusion, half in passion, before she understood his meaning and rocked herself against him again. "Oh, this isn't hurting one bit."

He half-smiled down at her as he pulled his t-shirt off, then reached down and pulled her nightshirt up over her head, tossing them both on the floor. Next came her panties that he lazily slipped over her long legs as he lifted them in front of himself, dropping a kiss on her calf before placing them back on the bed. He slipped the waistband of his boxers over his hips, then turned onto his back, allowing her to move to pull them the rest of the way from his body.

She glanced up from the middle of the bed, now in the same position he had been moments before as she sat on her feet along his side. He could see the sparkle in her eyes and knew what her plan was a second before it happened. Still, his body jerked in response as her head dropped and she ran her tongue along the entire length of his shaft. Automatically, his hands went into her hair, enjoying the caressing her talented mouth provided.

House leaned down and took her by the arms, gently pulling her up over him. She moved until she was resting on her elbows, her forearms lying on each side of his head as she gazed into those amazing blue eyes of his. He reached down until he held her bottom, then spread her legs around him.

"Do you know, that you ruined me for any other man, Dr. House?" She asked, leaning down and nipping at his chin. "For the last fifteen years, the memory of you has overshadowed everyone else."

"What are you talking about?"

"Your size is rather impressive."

"Are you saying that the wombat. . .," he started, but she put her fingers over his mouth and smiled at him.

"A toddler, comparatively speaking."

"Kiss me," he told her in a near growl that sent shivers through her, and upon feeling her body shudder, he smiled against her lips. "I don't think I'm going to get tired of this for a long time."

Upon his comment, she squeezed her legs tightly around his body until he laughed at her.

She reached down in a kiss, then bit his lower lip. His brief punishment given, she melted against him once more as he lifted her farther until her breasts were at his mouth and he feasted on their beauty. His hands maneuvered them as he kissed them, teased them until finally he took her nipples and alternatively bit and sucked them, increasing her breathing as she gently hugged his face, her position only allowing access to the top of his head as she leaned over him and kissed his hair.

Slowly, he moved with her until they were side-by-side and he looked at her, seeing everything he wanted to see as he looked into those green eyes. His fingers moved to her face, gently stroking her cheek, then running a single finger over her lips.

"God, you are so beautiful," he whispered before his mouth returned to hers and he reached down to lift her leg over his hip, gently pressing against her until he positioned himself and pushed inside of her, then turning with her until he was partially on top and he buried his length within her completely.

He took his time, for the first time that he could ever remember, he was careful in his lovemaking, gentle, slow, absorbing each sensation as they flowed over him, watching as each sensation flowed over her. He was receiving a new kind of satisfaction as he watched her face, seeing how simple touches would influence their awareness of one another. They moved together in a rhythm that was new for them, satisfying them both in a way they had never felt before. Simple caresses turned into something magnificent as they stroked hair and skin, exploring the other's body in a tenderness that was sending tingles through them, accelerating their awareness to a new level.

Finally when their senses and needs reached a maximum, their rhythms and forcefulness pushed them past the gentleness they had been practicing and in the end they were left panting against one another, both satisfied and tired as they caught their breath.

Throughout the rest of the night, they would nestle against one another, seeking the warmth and comfort they had denied one another for so long.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

House was rather rudely awakened the following morning when he felt the mattress jerk as Cameron made a dash for the bathroom once again. He slowly placed his feet on the carpeted floor, reaching for the orange bottle that sat on the bedside table. He popped the lid and shook two Vicodin into his palm, then moved to the bathroom for a cup of water, glancing down at Cameron as she retched into the toilet.

"You think you're going to be alright?" House asked with a still groggy voice.

His answer was a moan as she leaned her head onto her arms. "I feel horrible. But maybe it will pass." She looked up at him through those remarkable green eyes of hers, this time the strain of her regurgitation had them slightly glazed. "Can you please check on Tony? He probably needs your attention right now more than I do."

House watched as she gulped deeply, then gagged with another dry heave into the toilet's basin. He wasn't quite sure which of them needed his assistance more at that moment, but sensing she would rather be alone at this point, he swallowed his pills and made his way back out to the living room.

Tony had obviously been awake for some time now as he sat in his hospital bed with a PlayStation paddle in his hands, his gaze turning to his father as he approached.

"Looks like you had a good night's sleep." Tony smiled at him.

House glanced up to see the grin the boy was wearing. "You're joking, right?"

"You have a little accident on your motorcycle?"

"In case you've forgotten, I don't own a motorcycle anymore. Some juvenile delinquent stole it and decided to run it into solid concrete." He looked more closely at the boy, seeing the smile that hadn't dimmed. "Why?"

"Looks like a little road rash there. On your neck."

"Yeah, right." House smirked at him, remembering a few weeks prior, the last time Tony had teased him about an invisible rash. This time, he didn't believe the kid until the boy pointed to a mirror hanging on an adjacent wall. The large maroon blotch flashed like a beacon upon sight of it, and his hand absently moved to touch it. "Okay, so I blush easily."

"Funny place to blush–especially since your face and the rest of your neck is fine." The boy shifted on his bed. "So what's wrong with Mom? What'd you do? Knock her up again?"

"You've got some mouth on you, kid."

"Yeah, I wonder where I got that from." He went back to playing the PlayStation again for a moment. "So, is she pregnant?"

"Why would you ask me such a question? Isn't that something you should be asking your mother?"

"I didn't figure it mattered. I mean, you're my father–and if she's pregnant, you're "its" father. So, it's half your responsibility. You can answer."

"Ah, but that's something you need to understand about women. That would be something they like to report themselves. So, wait a few minutes and you can ask her yourself."

House moved closer to the boy's bed, then proceeded to check his condition and tend to his needs. Once confirming that all was well, he went back to the bathroom to find it empty. A quick glance in the other direction showed him that Cameron was pulling on a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt, then pulled her hair back and with a large clip and secured it on the back of her head.

"Your son wants to know if I knocked you up." House emphasized the end of his comment.

"He didn't say that." Cameron's shock quickly dissolved though as she walked toward House. "I take that back. He's acting more and more like you everyday. So, what did you tell him?"

"He's not a baby–I didn't feel there was any need to hide it."

"No, he's not a baby–but he is still a young boy. What exactly did you say to him?" She asked with concern as she started back toward the hallway that lead to the livingroom.

"I told him to ask his mother," House said simply.

"Why do I get the feeling that "I told him to ask his mother" is going to be a phrase I will hear quite often over the next few years?"

As they entered the livingroom, Cameron moved to the side of Tony's bed and sat on its edge, watching as he went about playing his game. Finally, he looked up as she heard various noises coming from the game, indicating that he had failed to reach the next level. He smiled as he looked at her then readily accepted her kiss to his cheek.

"Are you hungry?" Cameron asked him.

"Mmm-hmm. Are you?"

"Since when are you concerned whether or not I'm hungry?" She asked as she moved to her feet, about to go to the kitchen and prepare his breakfast, but stopped and glanced back at him.

"Since I heard you losing your dinner last night and then again this morning. Something you wanna tell me, Mom?" And with that he began to chuckle and looked over at his father. "Ya know, Mom, I think its about time you look into getting something bigger than a one-bedroom apartment. With the baby coming, we'll never have enough room to squeeze everyone in here."

"And just who says there's a baby coming? I could just have the flu, you know."

"Mom, these walls are thinner than you think. I heard you discussing it last night–among other things. That was when I turned up the volume to the TV. I'm really hoping we get a new place to live soon. I don't want to be sentenced to a life on some psychiatrist's couch because I had listen to my parents making out every night."

"I'll begin house-hunting immediately." She mumbled as she went to the kitchen.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

House hunting moved rather quickly over the next few weeks, more out of Cameron's necessity to get into a tranquil routine as her morning ritual was increasing in its intensity. By the time she and Tony were moved into a three-bedroom Victorian across town, the frequency of her visits to the "throne" were so often that she barely had any strength left to try to unload boxes. Tony's casts came off just as it was finally decided that Cameron needed to be put on round-the-clock IVs to keep her from dehydrating. This limited her activities to her home, and more specifically, to the second floor where she could roll the IV pole from her bedroom to the bathroom.

It went unsaid that House would remain in his own apartment and although he stayed with his son and Cameron often, there were times when he just couldn't face Cameron's condition and the fact that he had done it to her. He soon discovered that a pregnant woman with hyperemesis gravidarum is a woman not to be toyed with. As the outside world looked in at her with great pity and concern at the sweet, defenseless, frail girl trying to preserve the life of her baby, House was often times greeted with the dragon lady from hell! And what he couldn't understand was that it happened at the toss of a hat. He could be sitting on the bed with her, stroking her back or rubbing her legs that were starting to have a tendency to cramp, and she would be the most precious thing in the world–then out of nowhere she would start that damn gagging and heaving and lose her stomach in a basin she kept near her bed. That was when the change would take place. That was when she would look at him with those green eyes that he had always adored–but now they were accusing eyes–and he couldn't quite figure out what she was accusing him of. The most logical reasoning was that she was regretting the fact that she kept this child he had implanted in her, but whenever he would ask if she had changed her mind, the flames really shot from her eyes, and she would refuse to talk to him for the rest of the day. It was usually at this point that he would go downstairs and play PlayStation with Tony, go to the hospital to check in on the patient of the day, or simply go home and play his piano with a bottle of scotch close by.

Tony's rehabilitation was now totally in his father's hands and it was a bond that was beginning to become stronger than either of them suspected it ever would. The sight of Tony and House walking through the halls of the hospital as one leaned heavily on a cane and the other on crutches, caught more than a few sets of eyes–but when the boy advanced to a cane himself, it not only raised a few brows, it brought on chuckles that were quickly masked over when they saw House's glares. It was Wilson who came up with the idea to bring the camera along and catch them as they weren't aware of it.

It was during Cameron's second month of misery that Wilson took his latest set of shots into Cuddy's office to share them with her. With her interest peaked, it didn't take long for her to join Wilson on the sofa as they went through the pictures.

"Well, they certainly can't deny he's his son now, can they?" Cuddy chuckled as they passed the photos back and forth. "What are you planning to do with them?"

"I thought I'd have someone put them together for me and I'd give them to Cameron. I thought it might cheer her up a little. She's having such a rough time off it." Cuddy looked at Wilson with pity and close to a bit of envy. He took the photos back and put his arm around her shoulders. "Jeez, I'm sorry Lisa. I never should have brought it up. I didn't think of how this could hurt you."

"Stupid, huh?" She sniffed through a smile. "Maybe even a little greedy? I mean, I don't want her "not" to be pregnant. I think it's wonderful that she's expecting. And I truly sympathize with her for having such a difficult pregnancy."

"I know you do." He pulled her a little closer into a warm hug. "But there's just something nagging at you, telling you that it should be you with the morning sickness."

Wilson felt her shiver in a silent cry. "I feel completely absurd. If it isn't meant to happen, then it just isn't meant to happen."

"I know," Wilson started slowly, "that you've heard this a million times before. But, I really believe that if you would take the pressure off of yourself, it might help. If you don't plan on it, calculate it all the time–maybe the lack of stress would let you relax enough for your body to take over and nourish a new life for you."

"That's easier said than done, Wilson. How can you not calculate when you aren't in a regular relationship? It's not like I have a man in my bed every night just for the fun of it." She grabbed a tissue and wiped her nose.

"And you are opposed to that idea, why?"

Cuddy got to her feet immediately, slight irritation in her voice as she glanced back at him. "Don't say such things, Wilson, unless you're ready to step up to the plate in that area."

Wilson spread his arms in mock questioning, then shrugged his shoulders as a set of blue eyes met a set of brown ones.

"Well?"

"Are you saying. . ." Cuddy asked with nervous awe.

This time Wilson got to his feet and stood before her. "Well," he said again. "Why not? We have a good time when we go out together. We have similar interests."

"So do you and House – that doesn't mean you two should make a baby together!"

This comment made Wilson shudder. "No, I'm serious. What could be more natural–and unnatural?" At her look of complete confusion, he went on. "Look, we are good with each other, so if I spent the night with you for several months–or until it happened–we could maintain a mutual friendship. And then after you're past any danger of losing it, I could go back to my own living quarters, and you would have your child. And that's what you want, isn't it, Lisa? To raise the child on your own?"

"You make it sound like I'm some old man-hating lesbian that needs you only for your sperm!"

Wilson smiled gently at her as he came closer and put his arms around her again in an affectionate hug. "No, you're a beautiful, voluptuous, sexy, woman with an intelligence and humor I find completely attractive, who wants to have a child to share her love with. When you're ready to share it with some lucky man, you will."

At this point, she hugged him back. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure I am!"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Cameron pulled her IV pole along behind herself as she slowly made her way to a chair close to a window. She had just finished losing her lunch that she managed to get down and the chance to gaze outside was very inviting. She watched as two chipmunks chased one another around the big maple in her back yard. She glanced over at the swimming pool that was used only by Tony during the afternoons he didn't have physical therapy at the hospital. Then she watched as House's car pulled into her driveway and then as father and son got out and started for the back door. She noticed the stiffness of their gait and wondered at their demeanor, but once they were both limping up the stairs, she knew they weren't in a good mood.

"Mom!" Tony entered her room first, his anxiousness to declare his opinion was clear. "He says I have to stay here! Why should I stay here? I want to go home!"

"And just how are you going to make it to physical therapy three times a week when you're living on a farm in Illinois?" House entered several seconds behind his son.

Cameron looked at both of them, concern covering her pale features. "Okay, for one thing, my parents do not live on a farm. They live in the outskirts of a small town. And even if they did live on a farm–there is a hospital close by that he could have physical therapy. And, Tony, what are you talking about? You want to go back to live with Gram and Pap?"

"Well–yeah," he answered solemnly. "I mean, school's going to start soon. I want to go back. I was on the football team, remember?"

"Yeah, well your little escapades with your cheerleader admirers are over. Do you really think you can play football? You can barely make it up the stairs!" House lectured him.

Tony turned and looked at his father with a combination of anger and pain. "They didn't say I couldn't ever play ball again! And I can go back and sit on the bench this season–I can be back in shape by spring for baseball!"

"Tony," Cameron started, "you didn't say you wanted to go back. I mean, why do you think I invested in such a big house?"

Tony slowly moved to stand in front of her. "Mom, I love you so much. But I went to school back home. I only have four more years, and I'm done. I promise, I'll come back every weekend if you want me to, and I'll stay here on holidays and vacation. But, please, can't I go back home to finish high school?"

Cameron sat silently and looked at him. Granted, his abrupt appearance into her life in New Jersey was all his and her mother's idea, and by all rights, she should remind him of this and insist that he stay with her now that his arrival had changed her life so. But she couldn't. She knew what it was like to live in the secure atmosphere that her parents provided. She knew what it was like to go to school with friends that you had since kindergarten. She couldn't deny him these luxuries. After all, it was she who initiated their living arrangements when she was in college. And she couldn't deny her parents either. They loved Tony, and would be lost if they couldn't see him on a more regular basis. She knew this summer had been very hard on them, as they called almost daily to talk to Tony as well as to ask how her pregnancy was progressing.

"Alright. You may go home for school. But I want you back here at least every other weekend–long weekends included, as well as holidays and vacations, like you said. You can go to physical therapy at home"

"Fine," House said stiffly as he turned and started toward the door.

"Greg!" Cameron called after him.

He stopped and turned back to her, masking his anger with indifference. "What? You said he goes back to Hickville–so he goes back. It's all taken care of. But tell me something, once you pop this one out, you plan on sending it back for mom and pop to raise as well?"

Cameron looked as if she had been struck. She inhaled deeply as she looked at him. "Do you think you could have done a better job? Maybe I should have brought him to you when I had him, and you and Stacy could have raised him! Wouldn't he have been a real treasure then?"

"Keep Stacy out of it!"

This last remark turned Cameron's temper to the point of no return. "Yes, that's right! Keep Stacy out of it! At least you have a son out of me! She couldn't ruin her career or her figure to give you any children!"

"Maybe because I didn't WANT any damn kids!"

"Thanks, Dad," Tony said as he walked past him and into his own bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

"You son of a bitch!" Cameron ground out at House as she managed to get to her feet. "So, you don't want any "dam" kids? Fine! Then I guess you don't want this one either! Just get the hell out, and maybe you'll get lucky and I'll lose it!"

House watched with wide eyes as she started pulling at the IV line in her arm until it was dangling at her side and a steady flow of blood was coming from her. He slammed the door shut behind himself and was to her in an instant, his hand covering the open puncture as he dragged her over to the bed. In her weakened state, she couldn't fight him as he pushed her onto the mattress and grabbed the gauze and tape on the bed stand that was used when they would change the heparin lock.

"Lie still," House said as he tore the tape with his teeth and went about bandaging her wound.

Once done, he sat looking down at her tear drenched face and closed eyes as he wiped her blood from his hands, then cleaned her arm. He looked at the nightshirt she was wearing that resembled one of his dress shirts, but looked ten times better on her, and he saw the blood that was splattered onto the sleeve. He unbuttoned it and pulled it off of her as she offered no resistance. He went to her bureau and pulled out a pair of short pajamas, but as he walked back to the bed, he hesitated as he looked down at her nearly naked form. God, it had been weeks since he had last made love to her, her constant vomiting and mood swings made it impossible.

But as he looked at her today, tears, smudges of blood and all, he felt something stir, and this time it was more than his loins. He could feel it deep inside and he didn't like this control she was having over his emotions. When he saw her pulling that IV out, he felt as if it were connected to his heart, pulling out everything he was living for. And now, looking at her, he knew he wanted her so much that he was not going to be denied. He dropped the pajamas on the bottom of the bed as he kicked his sneakers off. His shirt came next, followed by his jeans and briefs. He put his good knee on the bed as he took her wrists and raised them above her head, prompting her eyes to pop open as she gazed up at him.

"Greg, no," she moaned as he lowered himself onto her and slid between her legs.

"Yesss," he hissed as he slid his length inside of her, then met her lips in a gentle kiss. He moved in a slow rhythm, pulling out of her nearly his entire length before pushing back to the hilt, repeatedly teasing her with his tempo until her returning gyrations encouraged him to speed up. He moved his head lower to take a pert nipple into his mouth as his hand moved to its twin, massaging it as she began moaning her pleasure. "Do you still want me to get out?"

She tugged at his hair in her desperation, but still her body responded to his, her legs coming up around his waist as he continued to move within her.

"I hate you for this," she moaned as she hugged him to her.

He moved his hand between them and found the nub that was as hard as her nipple had been and he began stroking it as he continued his invasion into her.

"You what?" His stroking continued as he watched her fighting the end they both knew he could bring her to.

"I said I hate you," she breathed. "I hate you."

His stroking took her over the brink to an ecstacy like she had never experienced before, stronger and longer than she could have ever expected. Her loud moan as she came helped House reach his powerful end, but he heard her words as she clutched him tightly.

"Oh, God, Greg, I love you!" And as her breathing slowed and he rolled off of her, turning toward her as she cuddled inside his arms, her comments came quieter. "Greg, I love you."

"That's more like it." He smiled gently as he pulled the bedspread over them and held onto her. "And we'll have no more talk of losing this baby. Imagine the excitement when we have two Tony's in our lives."

He would stay with her until she was calm enough to fall asleep, then he would go and try to find peace with his son. He knew he shouldn't have said those things, especially in front of Tony, but the stress level got out of control. He would make up for it and see where things go from there.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Cameron woke to the coolness of the sheets where House had been. She guessed he had gone to make up with Tony, and from there he left her house. She never questioned where he went when he left her and Tony at night; never felt she had the right to "interrogate" him about his absence from her bed, but that didn't mean she was comfortable with it, especially now that his nights "away" from her were now almost equal to his nights "with" her. She knew that her mood swings were pushing him away, but the more she tried to control them–the more they popped up out of nowhere and she behaved like a raving lunatic!

Tonight was no different–it was even worse. To risk losing this child was the utmost in foolishness. If House didn't want involved with it, that was just too bad. At least he can't accuse her of not making him aware of its existence this time. She was especially horrified at his reactions to her tonight; first it was his loyalty to Stacy, and then practically rubbing the fact that he didn't choose to create Tony in the boy's face. There was so much pressure on the three of them that she wasn't sure they could survive being acquaintances let alone being a family.

Slowly, she sat up, still feeling a little unsteady as she pulled on a set of pajamas and then made her way to her son's room down the hall. It was the first time she walked farther than her bedroom door in weeks, and the trembling in her legs reminded her of that fact in no uncertain terms. She tapped lightly on the door to Tony's bedroom, then pushed it open to the bangs and blasts of a Civil War battle taking place on his television. Tony glanced up from the screen and put the game on pause as he waited for her to sit next to him on the edge of his bed.

"Hey," she said softly as she reached over and took his hand.

"Hey," he responded back. "Are you supposed to be disconnected from your IV?"

"For now," she lied. "I'll get the nurse to put it back in on her visit tomorrow."

"Mom, I've been thinking a lot about what we were talking about this afternoon." He moved uneasily on the bed. "I've been thinking that maybe I shouldn't go home after all."

"And just what, in particular, made you decide this?" She asked with a gentle smile.

"Well, I think that maybe you need me here. And–and I can go back to visit Gram and Pap every other weekend or so, and when I go back I can hang with my friends."

"Tony, I know this has been a difficult ride for you. I always wanted what was best for you, but in the end, I seem to mess everything up. So, Honey, if you feel you need to finish high school in Illinois, I'll stand by that. But, we can talk about that more over the next few days and we'll come to a decision we can agree on." She shifted in her seat until she was facing him. "Now, how did it go with your father? Did he come and talk to you before he left?"

"Yeah. He apologized, I think." He smiled at her. "He said he was glad he had me for a kid because he wouldn't know what to do with a "good" kid. So he guessed he would keep me."

"Well, that was generous of him," she said quietly.

"I take it you two didn't make up yet? I thought you had when he didn't come over to my room right away."

"Yes, I guess you could say that. But I have a feeling this pregnancy is going to keep the sparks flying between your father and myself until the day it pops out. I was never this temperamental when I was pregnant with you." She got to her feet and leaned down to kiss his forehead. "Now that I see you're okay, I think I'm going to head back to bed, alright?"

"Sure, Mom." He already turned his attention back to the blue and gray coats that were in a fierce battle on the television screen.

As Cameron made her way back to her room she wondered just how far her temperament had pushed House this night, and where exactly it took him. She just hoped he would continue to find his way back to her.

House leaned back on his sofa with his legs stretched out before him. He needed this free time, this distance from Tony and Cameron. He was willing to accept responsibility for his two children, and even was allowing himself to feel a closeness to Cameron that he hadn't allowed himself to feel in years–not since Stacy.

He swirled the ice in his glass then took another gulp of Jack Daniels then stood up and moved to his piano. His fingers began moving over the keys as he thought about Cameron; thought about her smile, her enthusiasm, laughter. But then he thought about her anger he was becoming the target of and he grimaced. He thought it was going to be so easy, at least on his part, sliding into his role of father and significant other in this family scene. He was certainly finding out differently. He was struck with Cameron's mood swings and he wasn't even sure if she still wanted him around. Today when she told him she hated him, he could actually feel himself pale at the thought. He had to push her anger aside to get to her true emotions, and thankfully she came through for him and declared her love. That managed to alleviate the panic that stole through him at the thought of giving her up. But, at the same time, he knew he had to escape to the seclusion of his own home and release some of the frustration she had built up in him. At the moment his mind was racing with thoughts of Cameron, Tony and the new baby. Some times he just needed to step back and take a few thousand breaths before jumping back into the kettle. He paused as he stared at the piano keys. He needed a distraction. Wilson! That would do it. He moved to the telephone and dialed his friend's number, deciding that he needed a good dose of Wilson's endless prattle.

"You have reached 555-2379. I am unavailable to come to the telephone right now. Please leave a message." James Wilson's voice came over the line.

"Dammit." He hung up the telephone then grabbed his keys and headed for the door. "If I can't annoy Wilson, I'll go irritate Cuddy."

Wilson sat on the sofa in Cuddy's living room, wearing only his pajama bottoms that he had brought with him that day. The television was the only thing illuminating him as Lisa Cuddy snuggled against his side, stretching her bare legs along his. Her white robe was wrapped around herself, still naked after the explosive lovemaking session she had enjoyed with James only an hour before. She marveled at his technique and sensitivity to her needs and realized it was no wonder he managed to marry as often as he did–he was excellence in bed. She only wondered why he couldn't keep his wives–she would certainly be hard pressed to leave such a maestro of romance! They were laughing at the comedy they were both enjoying when they heard the tap-tap-tapping of a wooden cane rapping against the front door.

Suddenly the joy drained from their faces as they looked at one another and in unison moaned, "House."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Cuddy stood partially behind her door as she opened it and peeked out at House. Her displeasure was written plainly across her face, but he seemed to take a perverse joy out of it.

"May I ask what you are doing on my doorstep at nearly eleven o'clock at night?" Cuddy asked in a dull voice.

"I knew you'd be up." He pushed past her and entered the foyer.

"Well, Jeez, House! Did it ever occur to you that I don't "want" a visitor at this time of night?" She asked in frustration as she turned and followed him toward the glow of the television in the other room.

As House moved toward the television he dejectedly flopped down on the sofa, barely noticing Wilson who was now staring at him as if he were a piece of rotting cheese.

"Hey, Wilson," House said distractedly, then continued talking with his intended victim. "I needed to talk to someone about "women" and Wilson wasn't home so I thought you would serve as the next best thing. Good thing Wilson is here, huh."

Cuddy pushed her long strands of hair back from her face as she sank onto the sofa next to House. "Yeah, what luck."

In House's semi-intoxicated state, he seemed rather pleased with himself as he leaned back and placed his feet on the coffee table next to Wilson's and extended an arm around each of them. Cuddy, in a gesture of complete surrender, leaned back and jammed the large bowl of popcorn onto his lap. A look of confusion crossed House's face as he looked down at Wilson's bare feet that were next to his sneakered ones.

"Just what "are" you doing here, anyway?" House looked down at the friend who was slumped next to him. "And why are you half-dressed. . .oh." The sight that was finally starting to sink in to House was also slowly starting to sober him. "Ewww. . ."

"House!" Cuddy watched as House jumped to his feet, spilling the bowl of popcorn onto her carpet.

"House, calm down," Wilson told him as he moved until he was sitting with his feet on the floor and his elbows on his knees.

"Calm? I'm calm. I just don't want any of your interacting fluids seeping in my direction!" He took a step away from them then plopped down in a matching chair.

"Very funny, House. I ought to make you clean this up!" Cuddy told him, not appreciating the mess he made.

"When did this start?" House nodded toward them. "I take it you're going to be the sperm donor in her quest for motherhood." He looked back to Cuddy. "What's the matter? My sperm not good enough?"

"You've spread your sperm around enough for this year," Cuddy told him as she began scooping the white kernels into the bowl. "Speaking of which, why "are" you here and not at Cameron's house taking care of her? I'm sure she could use some extra care these days."

"Hmph," House grunted. "You go try giving her some extra care for awhile."

"Getting a little bumpy over there?" Wilson asked.

"You could say that."

"Well, what do you expect?" Cuddy asked impatiently. "Poor thing's depleting herself of all her fluids, can't hold any nutrition down. I can't imagine the fact that she can't eat a descent meal is very enticing. Plus, being held prisoner by that IV pole is no picnic either. Pregnancy hormones are probably flying through the roof at this time. You should consider yourself lucky that she's still here, putting up with you."

"And you're prepared to "put up" with that kind of crap with "her?" House asked Wilson with raised brows.

"No two pregnancies are alike. Just as no two women are alike during their pregnancies." Cuddy remarked as she placed the bowl of dirty popcorn on the coffee table, then pushed herself into a standing position, only to shriek as her right calf muscle went into a full spasm. "Owww! Leg cramp! Leg cramp!"

Wilson stood up immediately, seeing the balled up muscle immediately as he moved toward her. He let his fingers move over her calf to try to loosen the tight ball of muscle.

"Here, lie down. I'll massage it until it goes away," he told her as he got the worst of it taken care of.

"That isn't going to work!" House ordered skeptically as he watched them from his chair. "You've got to work it better than that."

Cameron was feeling very low and unsure of herself as she took advantage of not being attached to the IV pole and went downstairs, roaming from room to room and seeing that the dishes had been left sitting from House's and Tony's breakfasts and lunch. She smiled slightly, wondering why men seemed to have such a difficult time figuring out how to work a dishwasher. Upon opening it, she found it to be nearly full with other dirty dishes, so after filling it completely, she turned it on and went to the seclusion of a room that she hoped to use as her library once she was on her feet again.

She tried reading, then tried doing some research on her computer, then tried watching some television. Nothing interested her. She was beginning to feel alone and abandoned. She needed someone to talk to. She looked at her telephone, nervously biting her fingernail as she picked it up and started pacing the room again. Finally she worked up her courage and dialed House's number, only to receive his message informing her that he was either not at home or didn't wish to speak to anyone at that time, using a much more colorful way of putting it though, of course.

She paced the floor some more, her anxiety turning her to the point of needing to talk to someone–anyone! She dialed Wilson's number and listened to his answering machine pick up also. Finally, she dialed Cuddy's number, hoping another female voice might calm her, but as the telephone was picked up, her surprise was substantial to say the least!

"Yeah." House's voice came over the line as he picked up the telephone while watching Cuddy's attempts to lie down and Wilson's attempts to alleviate her painful leg cramp. "Push harder! Like this."

"Ohhhh! House, not so hard." Cuddy moaned as House grabbed her calf and squeezed, but Wilson slapped his hand away.

"Get out of here! We can't both be doing it to her at the same time! You're in my way!" Wilson muttered as he gently worked the spasm from her leg.

Cuddy moaned again, this time with pleasure as Wilson's remedy seemed to be working, then she glanced over at House and noticed the phone he was still holding in his hand.

"House, give it to me," she told him and when he only looked at her in confusion, having already forgotten about the object in question, she went on more insistently. "NOW! Give it to me, now!"

By now, Cameron was looking at the telephone in disbelief. The fact that House was there, quite clearly doing the things she had feared, turned her heart to ice, but adding on to it that Wilson was involved, revolted her.

"YOU BASTARD!! YOU PIG!! YOU FREAKING PIG!!"

She turned off the telephone and threw it across the room, watching as it smashed against the stone-lined fireplace. She couldn't take any more as she ran up the stairs and slammed her bedroom door behind her.

House looked at the telephone in his hand, recognizing the voice immediately, but by the time he tried to say anything, it was dead.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Uh-oh," House said stupidly as he gave Cuddy a blank look, who was now struggling to get to her feet.

Cuddy ran to the answering machine and pressed the button to replay the entire conversation, hearing what Cameron had heard and then Cameron's reaction. She was so angry she growled and stomped her foot as she stared at House. House remained in a stupor as he looked from her to the phone in his hand, and Wilson got an ill expression on his face as he sunk back down onto the sofa.

"House! How can you be so stupid?" She grabbed the receiver out of his hand and slammed it back into its base. "She thinks. . .she thinks. . ."

"She thinks we were having menage a trois!" House said with amazement. "With Wilson of all people!"

"Oh, God," Wilson moaned.

"We've got to fix this–fast! This could destroy your relationship completely!" Cuddy hurried to her bedroom, grabbing jeans and sweatshirt and tossing them out at Wilson, then slamming the door closed behind her as she started putting on the same.

"How could she think I would be having sex. . .with you?" House asked as he watched Wilson pull his jeans over his pajama bottoms and then the sweatshirt over his head. "You're not even cute."

"Right," Wilson said as he pulled on his sneakers and nearly bumped into Cuddy as she barged back into the room, keys in hand.

* * *

"Cameron, please, open the door," Cuddy pleaded as she stood outside of Cameron's bedroom door.

"No! For God's sake! Go away! I don't ever want to lay eyes on any of you again!"

"Now come on, Cameron, don't you think you're being a little over-reactive?" House crooned up close to the door. Her response was a vase being thrown at the door and crashing, prompting him to take a quick step back.

"What's going on, Wilson?" Tony came through his bedroom door and leaned against the wall with a bag of chips in his hands, next to where Wilson was standing.

Wilson glanced at him, then nervously looked back at the two people across the hall, still trying to calm the occupant of the room into some semblance of sane conversation. "Your mom called Cuddy's house and your dad was visiting and so was I. He answered the phone just as Lisa got a cramp in her leg and, well, she heard me trying to rub the cramp out, and your dad was trying to help, and Lisa was moaning, and. . .well, she thought. . ."

Tony looked up at his father's best friend and started chuckling. "She thought you three were having a wild sex fest?"

"Yesss." Wilson hissed.

"That's funny," Tony laughed again as he reached in the bag for another chip.

"Allison," Cuddy coaxed again. "Please let us explain. I know it sounded. . .strange. . .but I swear–it's just a simple misunderstanding."

"Yeah," Tony said to Wilson in a low voice as he continued to watch his father and Cuddy try to get into his mother's bedroom. "Especially when you look at my dad's mug. Who would think you'd be attracted to him?"

"Well, let's not forget the fact that I'M NOT GAY!" Wilson turned an irritated expression onto the boy, only to have him chuckle again and reach for more potato chips.

"Come on, Allison!" House tried again. "You can't actually believe I'd be involved in Wilson's and Cuddy's action. One's too bitchy and the other's too whiny!"

Another object banged against the door.

"Wow!" Tony offered some of his snack to Wilson, who reached in the bag and started munching on the crisp chips. "Quite an arm, huh." Wilson nodded his head in agreement. "Which one are you, anyway? The bitchy one or the whiny one?"

"For crying out loud!" Wilson eyed the boy with exasperation. "Shouldn't you be in bed? Isn't it past your bedtime or something?"

"Yeah, right. Like I'd pass up this entertainment."

"Allison, please open the door and let me talk to you."

"Cuddy, go home! I can't even think of looking at you right now! I heard you! My God, how can you talk your way out of this? I heard you!" Cameron's distressed voice came from behind the door.

"Cameron, open the damn door," House tried to demand, but he was met with silence this time.

Tony handed his bag of chips to Wilson and limped across the hall, pushing himself past his father and Cuddy.

"Out of the way," he said quietly and then knocked on the door. "Mom, can I come in? I need to talk to you."

There was a few seconds of silence, then the click of the lock on the door being undone. Tony turned the knob and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. The three adults looked from one to the other, then resigned themselves to wait for the boy's return. Minutes turned into an hour as they sat in the hallway, House in a chair he pulled from Tony's bedroom and Wilson and Cuddy on the floor, leaning against the wall. Finally, all eyes turned to the door as Tony slipped back to the hallway with them.

"You guys can go home now. She's okay."

"Okay?" Cuddy asked. "What were you doing in there all this time?"

"She had an old Abbott and Costello movie on. Costello was a ghost. It was funny."

"You made us wait out here for over an hour so you could watch a damn movie?" House got to his feet impatiently.

"We talked," he told his father. "I convinced her that Cuddy was too smart to have sex with the two of you, you're too ugly for them to have sex with you, and Wilson's too nerdy to be gay."

"Well, jeez! That just fixes everything, doesn't it?" Wilson asked. "And what do you mean I'm nerdy? I'm not nerdy!"

"Come on, James," Cuddy put her arm around Wilson's waist and gently steered him toward the stairs. "We'll give her some time, now that we know she's alright. She needs some rest now. Let's go home."

"Alright," Wilson agreed as he walked with her, both descending the stairs. "But, I'm not nerdy. Am I nerdy?"

"Well, maybe," Cuddy's voice trailed from the staircase. "But in a good way."

"Really?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"And what about me?" House asked Tony. "Couch?"

"Afraid so, Pop."

Tony watched as his father solemnly headed for the stairs. The boy picked up the discarded bag of chips and returned to his room with a huge yawn, then chuckled to himself again as he turned out his lights and got into bed.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

House made his way downstairs and limped through the unlit living room. He was heading toward the sofa but when he got within three feet of the piece of furniture, an out-of-place ottoman tripped him and his momentum carried him over the top and slightly onto the edge of his desired place of rest. The force of his fall, though, caused him to bounce back off of the cushions and land on the floor with a huge bang, and as his shin came in contract with the edge of the coffee table he let out a loud bellow and a long string of curses that were clearly heard by the occupants on the second floor. He lay on the floor with his eyes closed, quite prepared to stay there all night. He heard feet scrambling in the upstairs hall, then some voices stating, "Do you want me to go down and pick him up?" and a "No. It's my fault he's down there half drunk. I'll handle it myself." His eyes opened and he looked through the glass top of the coffee table and saw the staircase light up and eventually two gorgeous legs come down the stairs and head in his direction.

"Watch out for the foot stool," he mumbled as she came closer.

Another flick of a switch and she had the lamp on and stood above him, looking at him through the glass table.

"Are you alright?" She pulled the table toward the middle of the room so she could better get to him then pulled the ottoman over next to him and sat on it.

"Me? Yeah. Sure. I'm fine. I always prefer sleeping on the floor," he snarked at her.

"Well, just as long as you're okay." She stood and turned to leave but stopped when he grabbed her ankle. She looked back down at him and sat down again.

"No," he moped. "I'm not fine. I hurt myself. Here." He lifted his leg and pointed to his shin.

"Well, thank heaven it's your good leg. You don't need any more damage to the other one." She turned on the ottoman and grasped his shin, pulling his jeans up to find a bulge about the size of an egg on his shin with the skin split open. "An ice pack, antibiotic ointment and a Band-Aid ought to do it."

She dropped his leg with a thud and went to the freezer for an ice pack then went to the first-aid kit and got the salve and bandage. When she returned, he was still where she had left him. She knelt next to his feet and removed his sneakers and socks, then reached up to undo his belt, button and zipper. He lifted his hips as she pulled the garment down over them. He immediately grabbed onto her arms and pulled her closer.

"Oh yeah," he moaned as she looked down at him. "That's exactly what I need."

"Not now, Greg!" She scolded him as she moved off of him again and pulled his jeans the rest of the way off, careful of the badly bruised shin.

"But Cameron," he whined. "I got hurt! I need a little TLC."

"You're getting TLC. Believe me, I should just let you lie here with your goose egg and passed out on the floor for the night."

He lifted his head and looked down at his injury. "Wow. That's gonna hurt in the morning."

"Of all the hair-brained things to do. Didn't you ever hear of turning on a light before entering a room?" Cameron asked as she knelt next to his waist and inspected his wound.

"Not if I'm going into it to sleep! And whose bright idea was it to move the foot stool over there?"

"Probably you, the last time you used it while sitting in that chair." She spread the ointment on his wound.

"Oh." He reached out and found her backside to be the perfect object to stroke at that moment. "Cameron?"

"What?" She applied the bandage then threw the wrapper in the trash and placed the tube of ointment on the coffee table.

"Come on, Cammie," he coaxed as he took her hand and she helped him sit on the sofa. After pulling the coffee table back into place, she stood in front of him and he leaned forward and pulled her against him, lifting her night shirt and placing a kiss on her abdomen. "Hello, little House."

"You think that by lavishing attention on our child, you're going to get your own way?" She held her hand on his shoulders as he leaned his cheek against her stomach and started stroking her backside again.

"Not really. Lavishing my attention on you is more in line with what I want."

"After what you put me through today?"

"But I didn't do anything! You did it all yourself!" He felt her tighten her grip on his shoulders. "Ow! Ow! I'm sorry. I didn't mean that!"

Cameron exhaled slowly then moved to sit next to him on the sofa, raising his leg until his foot rested on the coffee table.

"No," she sighed. "You're right. I just don't know what gets into me these days."

"Well, not me, that's for sure–at least not very often," he mumbled and jumped when she dropped the ice pack on his groin. He pulled the pack off in an instant, placing it on his bruise instead. "Christ! Jeez, Cam! Be careful!"

"See." She suddenly dropped her head on his shoulder and burst into tears as she pulled her legs up onto the sofa and curled against him. "I'm getting horrible! I can't take a joke. I assumed the most awful things tonight. I mean, I mean, I know you could have easily been with Cuddy, but when I thought Wilson was involved–well, that was just crazy! Wilson isn't gay!"

"What in the hell does that mean?" He leaned back and looked at her.

"Well, you're not either!" She sobbed.

"Cameron, you're killing the mood," he complained as he pulled her legs across his lap and put his arms around her.

"I'm sorry," she hiccoughed. "Would you like to go upstairs with me now?"

"I thought you didn't want sex."

"Does it have to be sex? Can't you just come up and sleep with me?" She asked with her anger flashing, but then she closed her eyes and dropped her head on his shoulder again with a new surge of tears. "Anyway, just because I didn't want it before doesn't mean I don't want it now."

"Oh boy," he sighed. "Maybe we better just sit here for a while, after all."

She drew back and looked at him, then hastily got to her feet and started out of the room and up the stairs. "Fine! Then you sit there and I'll go upstairs and NOT HAVE SEX!"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The ring of the telephone woke House from his night's slumber, which was total misery at best. He reached for the phone and picked it up, feeling pain ripping through practically every muscle in his body. He had to stop and think of any reason why he would be sitting up on Cameron's sofa with his leg propped on the coffee table. Oh yeah, Hormonal Allison was on the loose again last night.

"Hello," he mumbled into the phone.

"I would have thought that after last night you would have learned your lesson and not picked up other people's phones." Wilson's voice came over the line.

"Reflex." He tried to put his leg down from the table but moaned with the pain it caused. "What are you doing, calling so early in the morning, anyway?"

"If I would have wanted you to know, I would have called you–not Cameron."

"Now you're keeping secrets from me?"

"Of course. But, I was only calling to see how she was."

"I'm not going to answer that. It might get me into more trouble than I'm already in." He finally got his injured leg down and slowly managed to stand, stretching cramped muscles that had been in one position for way too long. "Anyway, I don't know how she is–she's upstairs and I'm down on the couch."

This last comment brought a smile to Wilson. "Well, good for her. You deserved to spend the night on the sofa."

"I didn't do anything!"

"You got her pregnant. That started everything. She used to be such a sweet thing."

"Is that so? And just what can you tell me about her sweetness?"

"Calm down! You're the one who got her pregnant. Not me."

"Did you say why you called?" House asked impatiently.

"Yes, I did, as a matter of fact. I called to see how Cameron's doing."

"I'll call you back once I find out," he said as he turned toward the kitchen, getting the distinct aroma of bacon.

He hung up the telephone and slowly made his way to the kitchen's doorway where he found Cameron still in her night shirt and bare feet. She had her hair pulled up on top of her head in a loose bun as she stood in front of the stove, singing along with the radio as it played "Girlfriend," and moving her head and hips along with the beat. He watched in amazement as she pulled the golden crispy strips from the pan and put it on a plate along with what must have been two pounds that she had already fried. If he had even mentioned the word "bacon" in front of her during these past few weeks, she would have lost her stomach right in front of him. Now she was frying it up like she was in a Food Network marathon.

She turned off the stove and picked up the plate, starting to turn toward House but stopped when her eyes caught sight of the refrigerator. With plate in one hand, she opened the door with the other, searched its contents then smiled and grabbed the whipped cream container. She held the can upside down to her mouth and sprayed the foam, evidently liking the taste so much that she repeated it before putting the can back and closed the door. She turned for the doorway again and only paused slightly when she saw House.

"Oh, I was just coming in the room to wake you." She smiled up at him.

"What for? Some whipped cream?" He turned and followed her into the living room, taking his seat again on the sofa.

"No." She rolled her eyes at him, then sat on the coffee table between his legs and faced him. "For some bacon."

He eyed her suspiciously as she put her feet on the edge of the sofa, between his thighs, then moved a slice of bacon toward his mouth. He opened up and took a bite, watching as she was still smiling at him.

"Aren't you moving a bit fast?" He asked.

"Fast for what? Making you breakfast? Or trying to have make-up sex?" She said as she continued to feed him more bacon. "I'd say considering I'm pregnant with our second child, it's not overly fast."

"You want to have make-up sex?" He asked with raised brows.

"Maybe. Or maybe I just want to–make up. Then have sex."

"Actually, I wasn't talking about making up–or sex. I'm talking about eating. You're going from an IV line yesterday to a pound and a half of bacon today."

"I know!" She said with wide eyes. "I don't know what it is–but I woke up this morning so hungry for bacon! And I don't feel too bad. Like maybe I can hold it down."

"So you got a craving for bacon–and you're feeding it to me?" He leaned back when she moved to sit on his lap with a knee on either side of his hips.

"We can share." She took a bite of the golden crispness, rolling her eyes as if it was the best food she had ever eaten in her life.

He watched as she ate another piece, then offered him the next one, but when her fingers got close to his lips, she kept them there until he finished chewing and swallowed. She ran her forefinger across his lip, then bent forward and placed her mouth on his.

"Jeez! Can't you two take it behind closed doors? I guess that means you made up," Tony said in exasperation as he moved into the room wearing only his pajama bottoms. "Bacon! I thought I smelled it!"

He took the plate out of his mother's hand, grabbed the remote control to the television and sat on the other end of the sofa. He turned on the tv and leaned back with his ankles crossed on the coffee table, already devouring the meat as he channel surfed. House just stared at him. Christ! He's going to have all that bacon eaten before he even finds a station to watch.

"Hey! We were eating that," House informed him.

Cameron rubbed her stomach and moved to sit on the sofa between them. "No, not me. I'm stuffed."

"Well, two slices of bacon and whipped cream will do that."

"You don't want any more, do ya, Dad?" Tony asked as he kept his eyes on the tv.

"Yes! I do!" House reached across Cameron and grabbed the plate back from his son.

"Well, you don't have to eat all of it!" Tony grabbed it back. "It gives you high cholesterol! You'll have a heart attack."

"It's so nice sitting here between my two men," Cameron said with such authentic happiness that she turned both House's and Tony's eyes on her, both afraid that their little battle over the bacon was what had finally thrown her over the edge of sanity.

"Here, you take it," Tony said as he shoved the plate back toward his dad.

"We should do something today," Cameron smiled at them. "I mean, I know I'm still a little weak, and neither of you are up to walking far. We could go for a ride in the country."

"You keep it. You had to have it." House turned more toward Cameron with concern written on his face. "Are you okay?"

"Of course I'm okay. Why?"

"Because, you're, well. . ." House started, but Tony finished for him.

"In a good mood. You're almost happy. You're being kinda. . .nice."

Her smile started to diminish. "And this is a rare thing?"

"No." House rushed his answer. "No."

"Well, yeah. You've been kinda bitchy lately. Especially around him." Tony told her.

"Fine. Then the bitch will leave you alone and you can entertain yourselves. I was just trying to come up with something different to do today. But forget it."

She was on her feet again, heading upstairs, leaving both House and Tony sitting on the sofa looking at one another.

"Are–you–crazy?" House asked his son in very strained words. "Aren't you learning anything, living here? Like what and what not to say to your mother when she's starting her second trimester."

"Oh, yeah. Like you should talk! She told me what you said at Cuddy's last night. Like that's really stepping lightly!" He picked up the plate of bacon again and started munching again.

"That's completely different! It was a misunderstanding. You just blurted out that she was being bitchy!"

"Well, she was."

"But you don't tell her that! You tell her she's been under a lot of stress lately–so any little edginess is completely understandable.. You tell her she is a vision of beauty–even when she's got her head in the toilet, puking her guts out. You tell her that her disposition is the sweetest you've ever seen!"

"In other words–I lie."

"Yes. Lie like there's no tomorrow–because I'll tell ya, Tony, I've never seen a person as unpredictable as your mother with her hormones pouring out of her ears like they are."

"Why should I lie? You're the one who usually pisses her off."

"Because she's your mother!" House got to his feet and started for the stairs to try to calm Cameron down again. "And because you're the one who took her bacon! Never take food from a pregnant woman!"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

House approached Cameron's door with caution, slowly pushing it open and entering what appeared to be an empty bedroom. Before he could close the door, it was nudged shut from the person standing on the other side, near her closet. Cameron slowly walked toward House, stopping when he put his hands on her shoulders.

"If you're planning on punishing me more today, please don't. I think I've been punished enough," he mumbled gently.

"I was planning nothing of the sort."

"Then why did you get so mad down there?"

"Who says I was mad?" She smiled gently at him. "Ya know, it could have been a tactic to get you right where I want you."

"Did it work?"

"You're here, aren't you?"

"Mm-hmm." His hands moved lower, going around her and now holding onto her waist. "And is this where you wanted me?"

"It'll do for a start." She moved closer until her abdomen was pressed against his boxer/briefs, as he had not dressed yet from the night before when she bandaged his leg. "Do you remember when I said I woke up with a huge appetite?"

He stared down at her as she reached behind him and squeezed his bottom, pulling it closer to her as she started to rub up against him. "Yeah–for bacon."

"Oh, I was hungry for bacon. But, I was starving for something else."

She dropped to her knees in front of him, her hands grasping onto his thighs for support as she moved forward and gently kissed his length that immediately began to grow as soon as she approached him. She continued to kiss it, nip at it, through the cloth as he swayed slightly, then widened his stance for better balance.

"Never let it be said that I ever let you go hungry," House murmured as he placed one hand on the back of her head, lacing his fingers through her hair, and he pressed his boxer/briefs down over his throbbing member with his other hand.

She reached up to help him and pulled them over his hips until she could get the access she wanted, noting that he was a little anxious as he pulled her head closer to him. But she was anxious as well, and she immediately grabbed the base of his member and moved with him until she had as much of him inside of her mouth as she could accommodate. Her lips and tongue pulled him in, then allowed him to come back out where she would alternate between running her tongue around and sucking its head, and taking the whole length back into her mouth.

"Jesus. . .fucking. . .Christ. . .Cameron!" He moaned as both hands were in her hair now.

She continued her sweet agony with him, allowing him to move his hips in a rhythm that complimented hers, but didn't overpower her. His groaning was coming more frequently and she could feel him tensing up. What she suspected was going to end in his climax was interrupted as he pulled away from her. He grabbed her under the arms and lifted her onto her feet, moving to the bed so fast she hardly realized she was heading there until she was lying flat on her back.

"Greg! What are you doing?" She asked as he dragged her feet until she was lying cross-wise on the bed. In an instant, he had her panties removed and he moved to the side of the bed where her head lay. He looked down at her, seeing her face upside-down as he bent and kissed her lips, then moved his tongue down to her throat and on to her breast. He took her nipple into his mouth, savoring it's pertness, but moved on quickly to her stomach, pressing warm, moist kisses to her navel. In his eagerness, he nearly fell onto the bed next to her as he moved until his kisses were warming her inner thighs. "Ohhhh, Greg."

"Sweet Jesus, girl! Am I ever going to get enough of you?"

House put his arms around her waist and rolled onto his back, pulling her over on top of him and giving her the option of whether she wanted to continue her administrations as before. She did. He only had time to run his tongue along the length of her folds and nip slightly at her hardened nub before her thighs began to quiver and she returned to her duties with a vengeance. He moved his tongue up again and pressed it deep within her very core and he could feel her intensity as she became more and more excited. She took every bit of him into her mouth that she could and what she couldn't, due to his size, she massaged and squeezed with her hand. As he teased her, he could feel her getting closer and closer, recognizing signs he had come to know over the past three months. He, himself, felt as if he were going to explode, but he wanted to hold off until he was sure she had found her bliss. But it wasn't to be as she manipulated him with a technique that surpassed anyone he had ever been with in his life, and he spilled his seed, his climactic ending so close to hers. Suddenly, he pressed his two fingers deep inside her as he mouth moved over her clit, sucking and flicking his tongue almost as quickly as her thighs were fluttering. He could hear and feel her quickened breaths as she lay her face against his thigh and when she screamed out, muffling the noise against his leg, he was glad that he had, indeed finished first. She was climaxing so hard he was afraid if he had still been inside her, she might have done substantial damage to him.

They were both breathing very heavily and after a moment Cameron slowly moved off of House, turning around and dropping a kiss on his stomach before crawling across the bed and laying her head on his chest.

"What did you call that?" Cameron asked, still a bit breathless.

"Last I heard, they called it a sixty-nine." He put his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"I know what it's called. I meant, it was so. . .so. . .explosive!"

"Are you saying I never managed to get you excited before?"

"Yeah, right," she chuckled as she looked up at him. "But this time. . .I don't know. . .do you think, maybe, that it's the hormones?"

"Well, I must say, you outdid yourself with your enthusiasm today." He pulled her on top of him again, allowing her to spread her legs around his stomach as she rested her chin on her hands that were crossed at the top of his chest.

"I don't think I was this horny when I was pregnant with Tony. But then I didn't have access to you like I do now."

"Oh, so that's it. I'm just your boy-toy while your hormones are dancing around in your head."

"Do you mind?" She laughed at him. "Being my boy-toy?"

"Not as long as you'll be my sex slave."

"Sounds like a deal to me. As long as I can play with my toy whenever I want to."

House smirked as he rolled with her until he was on top of her and his mouth came down on hers, stroking her tongue with his in a manner that told her that her "boy-toy" was ready to come out and play again.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Later that afternoon House hooked the IV line into Cameron's arm again, but this time she informed him that if she continued to feel as good as she felt throughout that morning, and she didn't lose her dinner that night or her breakfast the following morning–it was coming back out. She wanted her freedom again, and being attached to an IV pole wasn't what she considered being free. It was decided that House and Tony would eat dinner in her bedroom with her, and they both watched in amazement as she dug into her roast chicken breast, side dish of stuffing and salad with gusto. By the time House finished with his salad, Tony (whom House had come to think of as a human trash compactor) was finishing his complete meal. But what caught both of the House men's attention was that Cameron was midway through her second helping of stuffing and was putting a drumstick on her plate.

Tony and House stopped eating as they watched her in silence, then looked at each other as they leaned back in their chairs, waiting for what they expected to be a rude awakening for Cameron. Tony glanced over at the basin near her bed and wondered if he would have enough time to actually limp over to get it and still be back in time when she would turn that now familiar shade of green and start purging herself. He looked doubtfully at his father, who was watching Cameron again with an almost stupefied expression covering his face. He wondered where she was putting all that food–and at the rate it was going down, he was sure it would come right back up any second now.

"This is sooooo, good! I'm so glad your grandmother taught you how to cook," Cameron said to her son with awe.

"Um, thanks." He watched her closely, waiting for signs of her eruption. "But it's not like I'm a chef or anything. She taught me how to cook a few things–like chicken, steak. . ."

"Mmmm," Cameron interrupted. "That sounds wonderful! Do you know how to make Swiss steak? Or no–maybe just a rib eye–medium–no, medium rare."

"You never eat your steak medium, let alone medium-rare," Tony said suspiciously.

"I know–but, I don't know–I could really go for a nice juicy, medium-rare cut of steak. Just enough so you can see a trace of red juice coming from the pink center." She put her fork down and looked toward the doorway. "Do we have any steak in the freezer?"

"No!" Both Tony and House answered, neither wanting to be the one told to go downstairs and make her a second dinner.

She looked at them then shrugged her shoulders as she took a bite from the drumstick. Two more bites of stuffing and she leaned back in her chair, prompting Tony and House to scoot their chairs back to get out of her way. But she merely rubbed her hand over her still flat tummy then reached for her napkin, daintily wiping her mouth and hands. When she finished she noticed the way she was being stared at and she smiled gently at them.

"That was filling," she said quietly, then noticed House's barely touched plate. "Greg, you're not eating. Aren't you hungry?"

"I–I guess I'm hungry. Just not as hungry as you were."

"Oh–then finish eating." She turned her attention back to Tony. "I don't suppose your Grandmother ever showed you how she makes her baked pork and sauerkraut, did she?"

"Sauerkraut?" House spoke up. "You're not serious."

"Yes–I am. My mom makes the best baked pork and sauerkraut."

House gave a warning glance at his son.

"No–no, Gramma never showed me how to make her sauerkraut," Tony told her.

"Fine." She got up and moved her IV pole back to the bed where she picked up her telephone and dialed. "Hi, Mom. Yes, actually I'm much better. Tony made roast chicken and stuffing for me–and Greg. Yes, Mom. He's here. I know, but I was hormonal when I called the other night. I don't know." She turned to look at House and relayed a message from her mother. "Do you plan on staying around now?"

Finally beginning to eat again, House put his fork down and looked back at her, then looked at Tony.

"What's she asking me?" House asked the boy.

"You mean Gramma?" Tony smiled at him.

"Yeah–Gram-ma."

"I think she wants to know if you're going to stick around for this baby and not abandon mom like you did when she was pregnant with me," Tony said lightly.

"She didn't say that at all!" Cameron snapped.

House could hear Mrs. Cameron's blaring response from across the room. "No, but I meant it!"

"Mom, now don't get yourself all upset. This isn't why I called tonight. I wanted to know how you make your baked pork and sauerkraut."

It was at this point that House stopped listening to the conversation. If she thought she was going to make sauerkraut and eat it in front of him, she had another thing coming. He could barely think of anything harsher on an upset stomach than that stinking dish. He was just finishing his food as Cameron hung up the telephone, looking somewhat forlorn. She plopped down on her bed, sitting with her feet pulled up and her back against the pillows and headboard.

"What's wrong?" House started to stack the plates to be taken downstairs. "Didn't get your recipe?"

"No," she moped. "She says I shouldn't eat it until I'm sure I won't be throwing it back up again. I told her I've been eating all day and haven't felt sick. I'll tell ya, though, I'm going to be eating whatever I want at the hospital when I go back tomorrow."

This caught House's attention. "You mean for an Ob appointment? I thought you were just seen two days ago."

"No, not an appointment. When I start back to work.

"Oh–no. You're not going back to work tomorrow! You don't even know if you can keep your food down yet."

"I do know. And I'll be going to work tomorrow morning, after you take the IV out of my arm."

"No you won't." House warned as he handed a stack of dishes to Tony who took them downstairs.

"Yes, I will," she said with anger then starting to giggle. "Okay, I won't."

"And that isn't going to work either."

"What?" She smiled up at him.

"You're sitting there thinking that you'll wait until I leave, then go in anyway."

"Actually, I was thinking I'd sneak out after you disconnect the IV, while you were still in the shower," she laughed as he moved to sit next to her on the bed.

"Can you tell me how you went from barely being stable on your feet two days ago, to thinking you can go to the hospital and get around tomorrow. There's a lot more walking to be done there than traveling from your bed to the bathroom."

"I was downstairs last night and today." She moved until she was leaning against him.

"Alright–more walking than going from your bedroom to the kitchen." His arms went around her automatically pulling her over until she was sitting between his legs and leaning back against his chest.

"So, I won't do a lot of walking. I'll go through your mail. I'll make coffee. I can even work in the lab."

Tony came into the room and picked up the remaining dishes and food to be taken out. He paused in the doorway with his hand on the knob.

"You guys want this closed?"

"Doesn't matter," House told him while at the same time Cameron answered.

"Yes, close it," she instructed.

They waited until the door was closed and resumed their conversation. But Cameron took this opportunity to move his hands until they covered her breasts, then she wiggled her butt against his lap.

"You've got something in mind?" House asked as his fingers squeezed and massaged each breast. "Are you bribing me?"

"Will it work?" She tilted her head to the side to give him better access to the side of her neck as he began kissing and sucking it at the tender spot where it joined her shoulder.

"No," he mumbled against her skin. "Does that mean we don't get to mess around?"

"No, it just means we're agreeing to disagree, and I'll be going in to work with you tomorrow," she sighed as his hands moved lower, flattening against her stomach and then sliding beneath the waistband of her pajama bottoms.

"We'll see."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Cameron first looked at their patient's chart the next morning, then after orienting herself to the patient a little bit more, she made a pot of coffee. She would have been lying to herself if she hadn't admitted that her eyes kept straying to the handsome man standing before the white board. He seemed totally indifferent to her presence there as he jotted down the differential diagnoses as Foreman and Chase were thinking of them. She even managed to come up with some good ideas of her own regarding this patient. She poured a cup of coffee into House's red cup, adding just the right amount of cream, then handed it to him as he continued writing on the board. But as she moved back to the table and Chase got to his feet to pull the chair out for her and seat her, House glanced over at them.

"She's knocked up–not an invalid," House snarked at Chase, snapping the younger man's gaze back to him.

"House!" Cameron admonished.

"I know what condition she's in," Chase told him.

"Just so you remember who made her that way." House turned back to the board and wrote another diagnosis.

"Would you have gotten this angry if it had been Foreman who helped her sit down?" Chase wouldn't let it drop.

"Not a bit." He turned back to look at him, then put the marker on its shelf. "Okay, Chase, go draw those labs and Foreman set up an MRI."

"And what am I supposed to do?" Cameron asked after the men left the conference room.

"You–in my office." He moved ahead of her through the glass door and leaned his cane against the wall then took his seat, propping his feet up on his desk. He picked up his grey and red ball, moving it from hand to hand as he watched her make her way to the side table where she would be going through his mail.

She sat down with her back to him and almost knew the very minute when he had fallen asleep behind her. She was, she had to admit, a little tired already, but she felt if she took it slow the first few days she could advance her tolerance and be back to her full schedule in no time.

It only took a week for Cameron to begin pestering House to let her go down to cover clinic duty, and within another week she was back within the full swing of her job. She would occasionally have lunch with Cuddy and Wilson which was a bit awkward in the beginning, but after Lisa assured her that she completely understood the mood swings and other phenomenon of having too much estrogen surging through her body, they actually started making plans for activities outside of the hospital. It was decided that Monday evenings were for Cuddy and Cameron to spend at Cameron's house after taking in a "girlie" movie at the local theater or going window shopping at Babies R Us. During this time, it was understood that Tony was to be doing his homework while his father and Wilson watched football at House's apartment. And, in truth, what that actually meant was that first, Wilson did Tony's homework, then the three of them gathered around the TV for the game. Tony rationalized this by explaining that since he had to cook dinner for Wilson and his father, he should be rewarded in some way. "After all," remarked the boy. "I do my homework the other four days of the week–I'm not missing that much."

Not much had changed at work regarding her interactions with House. He was snarky–she was irritable. She was caring–he was patronizing. She worked his clinic hours–he slept in his office. And this was alright with her–to a point. If he became too out of hand, she had a look that he would see cross her face and suddenly he would remove himself to another room. Or, if his indiscretion wasn't too outlandish, he would simply grasp her hand in a gentle squeeze and just as quickly release it, letting her know that he got her message.

It was during her sixth week back that suddenly, their nights together just didn't seem to be enough for Cameron anymore. House knew by now that his nights at his apartment were just about over as she would either call him in the middle of the night if he stayed there–or she would simply show up and climb into bed with him. Not that he was complaining! He was finding that making love to Cameron this often was quite appealing! It was after one of these nights that House was catching up on some sleep in his office when Cameron came in from having worked in the clinic.

It actually started that morning as she was going through his mail. He remained behind her as he usually did, either sleeping or surfing the internet. But for some reason today, she kept picking up the smell of his cologne and it was sending her senses reeling. She managed to finish the mail, but throughout the whole time she was squeezing her thighs together to assuage the intense coiling sensation she was having in her lower region. At one point she heard House chuckle behind her, making her turn around to see him leaning back in his chair, tossing his grey and red ball in the air as he watched her trying to relieve her tension.

"I sure hope you're thinking about me," he taunted her.

"What?" She asked in exasperation as she turned to look at him and rubbed the back of her neck.

"You don't think I can tell when you're getting horny?" He leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees as he looked at her with that glint still shining from his eyes. "Like I said, I sure hope you're thinking about me."

"No, I was thinking about Nurse Brenda and it was really hot!" She got to her feet in embarrassment and frustration and left the office, going first to the lab to check on the progress of the latest specimens she sent down, then to the patient's room to check on him.

She spent her next two hours in clinic, but by the time she was ready to go back to the Diagnostics Department, she knew she was in trouble. She couldn't get House out of her head! She was seeing him everywhere, hearing his voice in her head, remembering what he had done to her the night before, remembering what she had done to him! There was no way she could continue in the clinic. She was too distracted. So with his unfinished mail in mind, she made her way to his office, not too surprised to find him sleeping on the chair by the door with his legs spread out and feet propped on the ottoman.

She left him sleep as she went to the table with the mail, but again, his cologne, subtle though it was, was doing things to her that she would rather not have done at work. She went through several letters, then turned around and looked at him. 'Good God, but he was the sexiest man she had ever laid eyes on!' She tried doing some more letters, but finally she threw one down in frustration. She had had enough!

Quietly, she got to her feet and moved to the curtains, closing them all then turning on the lamp next to where House was reclining. She turned all the locks on the doors then moved until she was standing next to him, looking down at him. She glanced at the skirt and blouse she was wearing then pulled the hem of her skirt up until she reached her panties. They were removed in an instant, being kicked aside before she reached down and gently ran her finger over his glorious lips. Those lips that could do the most marvelous things to her. Upon her touch he blinked his eyes, then looked up at her, seeing her expression immediately and knowing she was completely his–to do with what he wanted.

"Hey," he said as he continued to gaze into those green eyes that he adored.

"Hey, yourself," she answered quietly, then lifted her left leg and straddled his outstretched legs.

"I guess you "were" thinking about me." His amusement was gone as he continued to watch her.

"Oh, God, yes. Please, Greg, I can't wait any longer." In her high state of arousal, she squeezed his legs between her thighs.

He moved his hands to her waist, caressing her hips and then her thighs before slowly lifting the hem of her skirt and looking down to see the dark curls that covered her mound. His left hand held her skirt up, exposing her to him as his right hand moved closer and he ever so slowly slid his finger between her folds. The intensity of sensation that shot through her made her sway and moan loudly, bringing a glint of pride to his eyes as he continued to watch her. He slid his finger in and out of her folds, over her clit that was already rock hard and he could feel her thighs beginning to shake.

"Stand up," he told her. "Now, hold this up."

He handed her the hem of her skirt and she stood over him, holding it as he ordered, curious as to what he was about to do, but not really caring, just as long as he did–something. He remained reclined as he watched her standing with her legs spread around him and he could see the wetness beginning to run down her inner thigh. Slowly, sensuously, he continued to run his finger of his right hand over her nub, then he moved his left hand and inserted two fingers inside her, making her gasp at the pressure he was building. When he noticed her legs weakening he lowered his feet to the floor and moved from between her legs but maintained his rhythmic movements. She reached her free hand to his shoulder to steady herself.

"Please, Greg, please let me sit down. I can't stand here much longer."

She grasped onto his hands and pulled them away from her, then dropped to her knees in front of him, frantically reaching for the snap and zipper of his jeans then carefully helping him lower them over his thighs and release his full erection. She ran her hands over it, sliding her fingers up and down its length. She looked up at him with a half-grin, lust shining from her eyes.

"Dr. House is such a big boy," she cooed at him and he placed his hands in her hair, gently pulling her forward.

"And Dr. Cameron knows just how to make Dr. House an even bigger boy."

Without another word Cameron swooped down onto him, taking his entire length into her mouth, sucking and licking as if her life depended upon it. His sharp intake of breath coincided with his hips bucking against her, but she seemed to be totally captivated by the job before her. He could have let her go on as she was until the job was complete, but he knew that she needed a release as well.

"Okay, okay." He pulled her head up and felt his heart nearly explode as she grinned at him. "Come to papa!"

He took her hands and assisted her until she straddled him again, this time impaling herself on his hardened length. She managed to slide her knees onto the cushion on either side of his hips as she held onto his shoulders again. She met his lips with her tongue, pressing inside until he sucked and played with it and pressed his tongue into her mouth. His hands found their way around her to cup her buttocks, squeezing them and lifting them to assist her in their race for mutual fulfillment. Each time she slid down upon him he felt as if he were sliding into heaven and each time he lifted himself to ram into her, she felt pure bliss. But it wasn't enough, and soon he told her to get up as he followed her, steering her to his desk where he stood her in front of it and bent her over until her elbows were resting on its top. He moved up behind her, sliding into her core and hearing her groan of pure satisfaction. He grabbed her hips, as he flipped her skirt over her bottom. He watched her perfection as he pumped inside her velvet sheath, noticing how she was alternating between bowing her head and flinging it back with moans of delight.

"Oh, Greg! Harder, please do it harder," she breathed as she reached beneath herself and let her fingers touch where they were joined.

He moved her hand and grabbed her hips again, doing as she said as he slammed against her, harder and harder until he felt as if he were going to explode. He reached around her and started rubbing her clit, pinching it lightly then rubbing it again until she threw her head back and shrieked, pressing herself back against him as far as she could, but he continued slamming into her once, twice, three times as he felt her velvet walls squeezing him, and then he too came in a climax that left him breathless, his pulses beating out of control and his body so exhausted that he simply collapsed on top of her, still joined as he lay on her back.

Finally, he lifted himself on his elbows and he slowly pulled from her.

"Jesus Christ, Cameron! You're going to be the death of me yet!"

She simply giggled as she turned around and sat on his desk to face him, then pulled him by his t-shirt so that she could give him a kiss of appreciation.

**I would like to give credit for one of the lines I used in this chapter. It was from the movie 'Grumpy Old Men' and it was delivered brilliantly by the late, great actor, Burgess Meredith.**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"Mom," Tony called from his bedroom as he was getting dressed for school. "Are you and Dad going to be right home tonight?"

Cameron went to his doorway as he was grabbing a "Breaking Benjamin" t-shirt from his dresser drawer. He stopped in mid-stride as he looked at her standing before him in a skin-tight Supergirl costume with red knee-high boots, blue skirt and leotard top with a big "S" on it and a red cape.

"I don't know. You know how it is, we never know. Why do you ask?"

"Mom," he breathed as he looked at her. "What are you wearing?"

"I'm Supergirl today," she smiled at him.

"Why?" He moaned with embarrassment.

"Because its Halloween, that's why." She laughed.

"Please don't tell me Dad is going to work as Superman."

"Uh–no," she told him.

"Superboy?"

"No."

"Clark Kent?"

"No."

"Lex Luther?"

"No," House walked up behind Cameron with a cup of coffee and looked in at his son. "I'm going as Blue from Blue's Clues. I'm picking up the costume on the way to the hospital."

"Are you really?" Tony asked with huge eyes.

"No," Cameron laughed again as House chuckled behind her. "He doesn't have the Halloween spirit. He isn't dressing up at all."

"Maybe you should reconsider, too, Mom," Tony told her as he looked down at her slightly protruding stomach. "You're starting to get fat."

"Tony! What a thing to say," Cameron admonished him.

"Don't get her started on obesity, she's got a thing for the heftier side," House warned his son.

"I do not!"

"You do so. Look how you were with the guy who knocked you through that plate glass window," he told her then looked down at the area Tony had been talking about. "Tony's right. You are getting a little pudgy."

"I'm pregnant!" She rolled her eyes at the two of them. "At five months, women are supposed to show. You two act as if you've never seen a pregnant woman before!"

"Not dressed as Supergirl," Tony raised his brow at her as he pulled his shirt over his head.

"How long do you have that outfit?" House asked thoughtfully.

"How long do you want me to keep it?"

"Alright–that's enough of that kind of talk. I'm already lying on Wilson's sofa and discussing my perverted parents. Keep it up and I'll be going to a psychiatrist's couch real soon."

"Fine–fine, spoil all our fun," House said as he started toward Cameron's bedroom, muttering as he went. "Kids! Can't live with 'em–can't drown 'em."

"Now, what did you want to know? Oh, if we were coming home early tonight?" Cameron asked Tony. "Why?"

"I wanted to go out with some of the kids from school, you know, trick or treating."

"What exactly does this involve?"

"Knocking on doors and saying trick or treat–what do you think?"

"It better not involve soaping car windows, throwing toilet paper, throwing corn, tormenting smaller children or breaking anything," House called from the other room. "I'm not paying for the damages."

"It doesn't," Tony told his parents. "What makes you think I'd be doing all that?"

"Because I did when I was your age. Just ask your grandmother–whenever you get to meet her."

"Alright," Cameron told her son. "But be home by ten."

Cameron was sitting at the table in the Diagnostics Department, her eyes straying from the white board to Chase who was sitting at the end of the table wearing a red clown costume complete with the collar, big shoes, nose and rainbow wig. The only thing missing was the painted eyes and mouth, but seeing as they weren't allowed to wear that kind of make-up because they might get it on their patients, he went without it. The oddity of the costume was enough to attract her attention, but the fact that he wouldn't take his eyes off of her was freaking her out a bit.

The sound of knocking on the glass wall turned the crew's attention to the hallway where they saw Cuddy in a very fetching dress from the late 1800s/early 1900s with its lace tail, puffed sleeves and high collar. She topped the ensemble off with a wide brimmed hat and a lace umbrella that she carried like a walking stick. Her hair was pulled up in a loose bun that allowed some stray strands to flow around her face. Wilson, who stood at her side with his one hand on her waist, was dressed from the same era in a brown suit and derby. They were both quite attractive.

"What a wimp," House said as he looked at them.

He put his marker back on its shelf and walked into his office to meet them as Cameron followed. When she entered the office, Cuddy took her hands and spread them out wide to look at her Supergirl outfit, laughing as she saw the protrusion of her abdomen.

"Well, if anyone working in the hospital doesn't know you're pregnant by now, they certainly will by the end of the day today."

"Yeah," House snarked. "I know. It's mine, so don't touch it."

Cuddy turned to House with a smug smile and put her hand on Cameron's belly. "I'll touch it as much as I want to! So there!"

Cuddy no sooner had her hand on Cameron's stomach than Cameron felt a twitch and she instinctively put both her hands on each side of Cuddy's.

"Oops," Cameron chuckled as Cuddy's eyes grew large.

"Wow!" Cuddy laughed. "That was a kick, wasn't it."

"Mmm-hmm. I've been feeling them for about a month now, but you're the first one to feel it from the outside."

"Oh, just great!" House placed his hand on her abdomen as well, looking down at Cuddy as he whined. "I said it was my toy! It's not right that you got to play with it before me!"

"It just shows the child has good taste." Cuddy smiled back at Cameron then moved back by Wilson as he waited by House's desk.

House stayed where he was, stubbornly waiting until finally the baby kicked again.

"Ah-hah! I felt it!" He spoke like a child that was actually fighting over a favorite toy.

"But I felt it first!" Cuddy said back, just as childishly.

"But it was harder when I felt it!"

"How would you know?" Cuddy laughed at him.

"Tell her," he urged Cameron.

"Yes, Greg, the baby kicked harder for you," Cameron told him but as she looked at Cuddy, she shook her head negatively.

"So," House said as he turned toward Wilson. "She's really got you whipped, doesn't she?"

"I see nothing wrong with us dressing from the same era," Cuddy told him. "It wouldn't have done any harm if you would have come in dressed like Superman."

"I am Superman," he told her. "No need to get a costume."

"Yesss," Wilson looked at House doubtfully. "So, anyway, we stopped in to see if you wanted to take in a movie tonight."

"Really?" Cameron asked with wide eyes.

"Yes. Really," Cuddy answered. "I know, I know. We said we'd never go to the movies with him again since last time when he intentionally tripped those teens with his cane. And then threw Raisinettes at that 300-pound linebacker–then gave the box to James and sat there pointing at him. We're so lucky that you were there and told him that Greg did it and that he was "special." Poor James would have been beaten to a pulp." She sighed deeply at the thought. "But, we thought we'd take in a Halloween double feature."

"I don't know," Cameron said doubtfully. "I don't care for those slice and dice films. Their plots are so weak. They bore me easily. I'd probably fall asleep while we were there."

"No," Wilson cut in. "It's not slice and dice. It's more suspense–thrillers. There will be ghosts–but no blood and guts."

"What time do they start?" Cameron asked.

"Seven. We should be out by eleven thirty."

"Sure," House told them. "Don't forget to bring the Raisinettes."

Cameron spent her morning at her usual jobs, then after lunch she went down to the clinic. She was pleased to see that the children were entertained by her costume, and she got a kick out of the men who viewed her costume with eager eyes as they approached her, then would take a second look at her baby bump and swiftly turn in the other direction. She managed to stay out of Chase's way most of the time as well. She knew he was upset that she was pregnant to House early on, but she really thought that by now he would be used to the idea. So when she saw him walking across the lobby in the clinic, she started to hurry to get another patient so she wouldn't have to deal with him, but when she saw who was walking next to him, she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Dr. Cameron, how very nice to see you," said Stacy Warner through eyes that were mercilessly inspecting every aspect of Cameron's costume, and then the bulge of her pregnancy. Cameron watched as Chase kept walking past them and out of the clinic, wearing a small smile of satisfaction.

"Stacey," Cameron said dully, looking at the expensive sweater the other woman was wearing with a simple pumpkin of about an inch and a half in diameter knit above her left breast. "You're looking wonderful, as always."

"Thank you. Your costume is somehow appropriate. Super "girl" isn't it? I always tended to be a bit more conservative on the holidays. But to each their own."

"I thought the children might like it," Cameron explained.

"I'm sure." Stacy smiled sweetly at her. "So, tell me, how far along are you?"

"Five months," Cameron sighed.

"And Dr. Chase is the lucky father?" She smiled again. "I remember you had a crush on Greg the last time I was here. I really should have told you that he prefers women his own age, or like me, a few years older. He always has. I'm just glad you realized that and didn't have your heart broken."

"No, I didn't have my heart broken recently. The only time I had my heart broken was when I was a young girl, fresh out of high school. But that was a long time ago."

"Good. I'm glad you didn't try to force Greg into a relationship he clearly didn't have any interest in. I only hope he's held up since I left last year."

"I don't know about that. Have you seen him?"

"No. I was about to go to his office when I ran into Dr. Chase. So, when did the two of you get married?"

"Who? Chase and me?"

"Of course." Stacey looked at her with sympathy. It was so clear that she felt superior to Cameron in every way.

"I'm–not married."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Are you planning to raise the child alone?"

"No. The baby's father is involved, very involved. But I don't know where you got the information that it was Chase. Chase and I are not together."

"Oh, I just assumed."

"Now, why would you assume that? You, of all people, knew I wasn't in love with Chase."

"No, you were in love with Greg." She smiled tightly at Cameron and Cameron smiled back at her, just as tightly. "So, what are you saying?"

Cameron's hands went to gently lay across her stomach as she continued to look at Stacy. "What do you think I'm saying?"

"If you're trying to tell me that this baby is Greg's. . . Don't be absurd! Greg never wanted children."

"Well, sometimes life doesn't always come in a nice, neat, little package. Sometimes that little package just has a way of dropping into your life and changing it forever."

Suddenly Stacey's masquerade as the ever cool and composed lawyer started to slip as she looked at Cameron with daggers, dropped her gaze to her abdomen and flared hatred from her eyes, then swallowed and shifted her coat she had folded in her arms as she smiled back at Cameron.

"I always knew you were jealous of my relationship with Greg, but I didn't think you would stoop so low as to try to hurt me with this kind of fabrication. So, if you'll excuse me, I was on my way to speak with Dr. House."

Cameron watched as Stacey walked in the direction of the Diagnostics Department. She pulled her cell phone out of her lab coat that she had stowed away at the nurse's station.

"Not if I can help it, bitch," she said quietly.

House was just nestling into his chair for a nap when his cell went off. He nearly ignored it, but then opened it and read it's message.

It read, "Need to see you now. Meet me at the patient's room."

It didn't sound too urgent–but then Cameron wasn't in the habit of texting him like this at work. He shrugged his shoulders and curiosity got the best of him as he got up, grabbed his cane and started for the elevators. The metal doors opened just as he heard the bell from the other elevator next to it, announcing it's arrival to this floor as well. He stepped into the large box and watched the doors close. A second later Stacey Warner stepped out of the other elevator in her quest to find Gregory House.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"What's up, Supergirl? Why the text? I thought you could use your super powers and send me the message telepathically."

"Wrong super powers." She turned away from the patient's empty bed.

"Where's. . . uh. . . Maurice?" He nodded toward the bed.

"Milton," she corrected as she walked past him to the doorway and nodded her head at the RN at the nurse's station, then closed the door and closed the blinds. "He's down for an MRI and MRA. He won't be back for at least two hours."

"And you needed me here–because?" He asked as he leaned back against the side of the patient's bed and watched her saunter over to him until she was standing between his legs.

"I missed you," she pouted, taking hold of the lapels of his jacket and playing with the cloth.

"You're horny again, aren't you?" He asked with a chuckle.

"I'm feeling. . .insecure at the moment. Can you fix that?"

"Depends on what you have in mind."

"We can think of something, can't we?"

She ran her hands from his lapel to his t-shirt clad chest, continuing down to his abdomen and then his jeans and not stopping until she was stroking his member and it was pressing painfully against the denim. He unbuttoned, then unzipped his pants, pushed them down over his hips, and watched as she began stroking him until he was completely erect.

"God, I love when you do that." He leaned over slightly and kissed her, allowing her to continue her ministrations. "But how is this helping you?"

"Get on the bed." She stepped back from him and he glanced at the freshly made bed he was leaning against. He moved until he was lying on the mattress. She moved to lie next to him, returning her hand to his erection as he lay on his back and she faced him. "Wanna play?"

"Of course." He turned more toward her as he held his arms around her and gently smiled down at her.

"Did anyone ever tell you, you're hung like a horse?" She asked mischievously as she continued to massage his length, occasionally moving to cup and gently squeeze his family jewels.

This made him snicker at her. "Do you want to go for a ride, little girl?"

"Maybe later, Tex. Right now I'm having a nice time just petting the pony."

"Oh, now it's only a pony," he moaned as he closed his eyes and ran his hand down over her blue skirt, taking pleasure in rubbing her perfect ass for a few moments. He slid his hand to the front of her, in between her thighs and nudged her right leg until she lifted it across his thighs. He reached his target as he slid his fingers inside the leg hole of her leotard top and found the curls where his fingers danced momentarily, then slid through her fold to tease her hardening nub.

"Mmmmmmm. Okay, I'm petting the raging stallion." She met his lips in another deep kiss as she started to rock against his hand. "Ohhh, Greg, right there."

"What do you want me to do?" He asked as his upper body leaned toward her, his tongue plunging into her mouth similar to the rhythm of her hands on his throbbing length. He licked the roof of her mouth, the sides, he suckled her tongue and then went back in for more.

"This is fine." She spread her legs more for him and pressed against his hand. "What do you want?"

"I want to fuck Supergirl," he said against her mouth, as his hips bucked against her hands.

She laughed softly as she rolled more onto her back. "Well, here I am."

He kicked off his sneakers and then his jeans, letting them land on the floor next to the bed. He moved between her legs, still holding the crotch of her top aside as he slid his huge bulk inside of her. She threw her head back against the pillow and moaned her satisfaction as she stretched around him. He propped himself up on his left elbow as he looked down at her, then lifted her left leg and put it around his waist. He slowly began drilling into her, rotating his hips occasionally, then pounding back into her.

"Christ, Cameron! Fucking you is like going to heaven!"

"Is it me? Or the costume?" She giggled as she looked up at him.

"Actually, we could do without this contraption," he laughed back down at her. "It's hazardous. Here, take this off, at least." He untied her cape and let it drop onto the bed, then placed his hand on her breast and squeezed it. "And what the hell is this?"

She started laughing again. "Last time I looked in our medical journal, it was called a breast."

"I'm not talking about your tits!" He smiled again. "I know what your tits are! I'm talking about this damn blouse and underwear all rolled into one. Whoever came up with this idea must have been a man-hater."

"House?" Cameron's hips were moving in rhythm with his. "Shut up."

He merely gave her one of his killer half-smiles and bent down to kiss her again, receiving her tongue in his mouth even before their lips met. He continued to move inside of her, each stroke sending sparks through him, each kiss tightening his sensations, each time she ran her hands over his ass and pulling him into her even farther, bringing him closer and closer to coming. She moaned his name and started panting, then he felt her body squeezing him and he couldn't hold back any longer, releasing himself into her and dropping his head onto her shoulder, mumbling without realizing it.

"Oh baby, I love you. Don't ever take this away from me. God, I love you."

Cameron snapped out of her post-coital bliss immediately as she looked at him, seeing only his hair as he lay with his head positioned the way it was. She had to see his face. She pushed on his shoulders and lifted herself onto her elbows.

"What–did–you say?" She asked quietly.

House looked at her as if he didn't know what she was talking about then his eyes widened as he realized what he had said. He looked at her blankly, then moved to get off the bed.

"We better get moving." He picked up his jeans and pulled them on. "Morton will be back soon."

"Greg?"

"I don't know what I said, okay?" He grabbed his sneakers then took her hand and assisted her until she was standing on the floor.

"You know what you said," she insisted as she reached behind her and pulled the sheets and blanket from the bed, placing them on the chair in the corner.

"Yeah," he sighed. "I know what I said. You know too. Now, grab your cape, Supergirl. We can get back to work now."

Cameron felt the security that Stacy had taken away from her. He had finally told her that he loved her. She smiled as she picked up her red cape and followed him to the door. Cameron nodded to the nurse, letting her know that the room was again available.

"Could you please see that clean sheets get put on the bed inside? We spilled some of the solution we were working with." The nurse gave her a knowing smile and nodded her head. "Thank you."

House, on the other hand, wasn't as subtle as he walked past the nurse with his cane in one hand and his sneakers in the other.

"Yes, thank you. Next time we need to hide and have sex, we'll keep you in mind."

Cameron looked at her watch, seeing that she had kept House occupied long enough for Stacey to have gone in search of him and hopefully finally given up and gone home. She knew this was only a Band-Aid in her crusade to keep that woman away from House. But for now, it was good enough. He had said he loved her.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

After finding House's office completely empty Stacey went immediately to Wilson's office. When she saw that he wasn't anywhere to be found, she decided to go to Cuddy's office. She was furious. How dare she? He was hers–he always would be–and he knew it. Everybody knew it! All she had to do was snap her fingers and he would come running back to her. Just because he asked her to leave last year, didn't mean he didn't love her. It meant exactly the opposite, he loved her so much he didn't want to see her get hurt. So if this little bitch thinks she can get away with carrying his child–a child that should have been hers--she's going to learn very soon that you don't screw with Stacey Warner!

"I need to speak to Lisa Cuddy," Stacey said to the secretary outside Cuddy's office.

"She's in a meeting right now. I can take your name and have her call you when she's through."

"I want to see Lisa–NOW!" Stacey ordered.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am, but she isn't to be disturbed. You'll either have to come back another time–or give me your name and number so she can call you."

"Listen you little peon. . ."

Suddenly Cuddy's door opened and Wilson stood looking at Stacey as if he were looking at a four-car pile up. Horrifying though it was, he simply couldn't look away.

"Stacey? What are you doing here?" He turned and looked at the secretary who was still staring at Stacey as if her hair were on fire. "It's alright, Sarah. Dr. Cuddy is available now."

"Thank you, Dr. Wilson. I'll open her schedule again."

"James! Oh, how nice it is to see you again! Is Lisa busy? May I come in?"

"Come in, Stacey. We were just having a meeting," Wilson said a bit nervously as he opened the blinds then allowed Stacey to walk past him.

"Hello, Stacey," Cuddy said somewhat distantly as she touched a tissue to her mouth then tossed it away.

"Lisa? Would you like me to stay?" Wilson asked.

"No, no. You've got patients to see. Go ahead. It'll be fine." She watched him nod his head, then walk out, shutting the door behind him. "Now, Stacey, what can I do for you?"

"I was looking for Greg, actually. I was hoping you might know where he is." Stacey moved to sit in one of the chairs in front of Cuddy's desk.

"What makes you think I would know where House is? You know he has a mind of his own. If he isn't in his office–he could be anywhere." She leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs as she swivelled back and forth, watching Stacey closely with suspicion. "Why are you looking for House, anyway?"

"I was in the area and thought I'd stop in to see how he is."

"He's doing fine. Still his grumpy self–but he's pulling his life together." Cuddy picked up another tissue and dabbed her lips with it.

"What exactly do you mean, he's pulling his life together?"

"He's moving on," Cuddy smiled at her. "So, tell me–have you seen anyone else from his staff today?"

"Yes, Lisa," Stacey said with a bit of venom. "I saw her–and there is no way you can convince me that the baby is Greg's."

"Why wouldn't you think the baby is House's?" Cuddy looked at her oddly. "He's not sterile–he's fully capable of reproducing."

"Because we all know she was sleeping with other doctors!"

"Stacey, you can't say that. As far as I know, Cameron's personal life has been exemplary."

"She slept with that young doctor–Chase!"

Cuddy laughed at her. "So? Anyway, that was over before she got pregnant." Cuddy looked past Stacey, through the distorted windows of her office. She saw the tall, dark-haired male saunter up to her secretary, Sarah. "Look, Stacey. It's time to move on. You've got to let go of him. He deserves this life he's moving toward."

"He'll never be happy with her and you know it, Lisa."

"And your reasoning for this is?" Cuddy heard Sarah's laughter and knew that the person standing at her desk was openly flirting with her, and her secretary was flirting right back.

"Because he's still in love with me." Stacey hissed. "It's always been me. If he hadn't been so stubborn about his stupid leg, we would still be together. That would be me carrying his child."

"I–don't know about that, Stacey," Cuddy said doubtfully as she watched her secretary and the other person exchanging banter. Then she saw Sarah reach for her intercom. It was unusual that Sarah would interrupt her when she knew she was with someone else, but then Sarah could be rather mule-headed at times. That was one reason she was hired. "You're how many years older than House–and he's forty-eight."

Sarah's voice came over the intercom. "Dr. Cuddy, you have a visitor. Oh–I'm sorry. I forgot you already had someone in with you. My goodness, my memory is just terrible–but then what can you expect from a lowly peon?"

Stacey turned in her seat and looked through the haziness of the window and saw the person that was walking toward the door. She was on her feet in a flash and when the door opened she threw her arms around him, hugging him to her as she fought back her tears and lay her head on his shoulder.

"Greg! Greg, I'm so glad you're here! They wouldn't let me come to see you. They treated me as if we mean nothing to each other! Please, Greg, we need to talk in private."

When she heard no response other than a tiny squeak and then a, "Lisa?" she pulled her head back and finally looked at the person she was clinging to. Tony moved awkwardly, trying to disentangle himself from this crazy woman's arms.

"Excuse me, lady–but I'm not "Greg" and you really need to let go of me now."

Stacey spun around and looked at Cuddy who was hiding a smile behind her tissue.

"What's going on here?" Stacey asked, her sweet nature replaced once again with poison. "Who is he?"

"Stacey, I would like you to meet a very good friend of mine, Anthony House. Tony, this is Stacey Warner."

"Stacey Warner? Stacey Warner. Why does that name sound familiar? Oh," he said, then his eyes got very wide as he looked at the woman more closely, screwing his face into distaste. "Oh! You're my dad's old girlfriend." At his wording, he started chuckling and looked past her to Cuddy. "Boy, I said that right! "Old" girlfriend."

Cuddy snorted in her attempt to hide her amusement, then sobered. "Tony, that wasn't an appropriate thing to say. I think you should apologize to Ms. Warner."

"I'm sorry, Ms. Warner," Tony said genuinely, but he had to smile at her again. "I'm really sorry–but how old are you? I bet you're even older than Dr. Cuddy!"

At this, Cuddy did laugh but again, she sobered. "I'm sorry, Stacey. He's very young–and doesn't know any better."

"Really?" Stacey asked with smoke seeming to be coming out of her ears. "He looks like a big boy to me! What is he? Retarded?!"

Cuddy moved around her desk in an instant, placing her hands on the much taller boy as if to comfort him. "NO! He is not retarded! He's on the honor roll at school and this is only his first semester in our school district. You give him another semester and he'll be on the distinguished honor roll. I have no doubt about that!" Cuddy turned to look up at Tony and talked very sternly. "Tony! That's no way to talk! You know better. Your parents would be very disappointed in you right now. Well, your mother would be anyway. Your father would probably cheer you on."

Tony looked back at Stacey and dropped his gaze. He could take discipline from his mother and father and not bat an eye. But for some reason, having Cuddy correct him made him feel extremely ashamed of himself.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Warner. Dr. Cuddy is right. My mother would be disappointed if I embarrassed her in any way."

"Will someone tell me who is responsible for this person? Other than the obvious. He looks and acts so much like Greg that there's no question that he must have been a mistake Greg made before he met me."

"Stacey, I will not have you insulting this boy. He is a wonderful person, just as his parents are wonderful people. . ." Cuddy started but stopped when Tony put his hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright, Lisa. Ms. Warner, you're right when you say I was a mistake, but that's really beside the point. My father met my mother a few days before my conception and was immediately attracted to her. They may not have planned on having me–but here I am. I suppose it's common for two people who are as attracted to each other as they are to be drawn to one another."

"WHO IS YOUR DAMN MOTHER?!!" Stacey ground out between her teeth.

"My mother is Allison Cameron, Ms. Warner."

Stacey turned very pale. "How is this possible? He never said he had a son. He never said he knew Cameron before she started working here."

"House didn't know. Tony's grandparents raised him. Cameron chose to raise him herself. Call it a coincidence or call it kismet, but whatever it was, she got the job to work with him. She had her reasons for doing the things she's done. But they were her reasons and I respect them. Now, they're starting a new family structure and I'm happy for them–happy for House. You should just go back to Mark and let these people get on with their lives." Cuddy told Stacey with compassion written plainly across her features.

Stacey picked up her coat and moved out the door.

"You okay?" Cuddy asked Tony.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"I don't think your father needs to hear about this little fiasco. Do you?"

"No, I don't think so either."

"You knew who she was before you came in here, didn't you? That was why you were so rude to her."

"Nah. I had no idea who she was until I found out her name. I was rude to her because Sarah said she was a real ass. She was insulting to her for no reason–so I thought I'd insult her."

Cuddy reached up and kissed his cheek. "You are your father's son. There's no denying that." She moved to sit behind her desk again. "So, what gives me the pleasure of your company today, Mr. House."

"Oh–yeah, I forgot. I was just wondering if you knew where Mom or Dad was. I'm going out trick or treating with some kids and I needed some money. They weren't in Dad's office."

"Why don't you go back to his office and I'll beep him and send him there, okay?"

"Sure." He started for the door then stopped and looked back at her with a sly smile. "By the way, Lisa, you look really hot in that gown! Too bad you aren't thirty years younger! I'd be going trick or treating at your door all night!"

"Oh, go find your father!" She laughed at him and watched him stroll down the hall. When he was out of hearing range she turned on the intercom. "Sarah."

"Yes, Dr. Cuddy."

"Could you beep Dr. House and let him know his son will be waiting for him in his office, and then call Dr. Wilson and ask if he could come back here, please? Tell him I'm feeling a little nauseous again."

"Yes, Dr. Cuddy."

Cameron finished her last patient in the clinic and was moving up the steps toward the women's locker room. She had had enough of this costume for the day and wanted to change into her normal clothes. About half way up the flight of stairs she heard a very unwelcome, familiar voice and suddenly felt a huge bump as the person coming down the steps intentionally ran into her and knocked her back against the railing. Cameron looked up to see Stacey standing in front of her.

"You might think this is over! But I'll get him back! He always will choose me. It may not be today, but I'll be back–and you'll lose everything you've schemed to steal from me!"

"I'll be waiting," Cameron smiled stiffly at her then watched as Stacey rushed down the stairs and across the lobby, exiting the hospital and not looking back.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

By the time Thanksgiving arrived, Tony was without a cane. He simply had a very minor limp which the doctors promised would disappear by the following summer. It was turning into a routine of having friends visiting during the evenings, more than half of the time his friends were of the opposite sex which concerned House until the night he and Cameron came home late from the hospital to find one of his son's female friends on the sofa, lying beneath Tony as they kissed frantically. Luckily, when they turned on the light to the living room the pair split apart as if they were doused with ice water; Tony sat up with a rather embarrassing bulge in his jeans, and the girl sat up holding her blouse together with a pair of jeans that were opened.

"Tony!" Gasped Cameron

"Sorry," House said as he turned off the lamp and started back out of the room.

"Turn that back on!" Cameron said with astonishment.

"Why?" House whined as he turned the light on and looked over at Cameron. "You're going to turn this into one of those "parent" moments–aren't you?"

"Tony! Go to your room!" Cameron scolded, then watched with shock as the boy stood up, took the girl's hand and started for the stairs with her. "Not with her!"

"Nice try, Romeo," House said to the boy as he picked up the remote control, sat in his favorite chair and turned on the television.

"Turn off the TV and talk to your son!" Cameron told House.

"About what?"

"They were–doing–things!"

"I know. I saw them too." He glanced over at the girl that was still holding his son's hand. "Hello Brittany–are you Brittany? Or was that the little red head you had over Tuesday night."

"Dad!" Tony moaned as the girl yanked her hand away from him.

"You had Brittany over? I'm going home!" The girl grabbed her coat and hurried out the door.

"Boy, that was a smooth move," House said to Tony as he moved his eyes back to television screen.

"Greg! I said turn that off and talk to him! Tell him not to rush these things!" Cameron was pacing the room with her arms folded and resting on her very pregnant abdomen. At six months of pregnancy she looked like she had swallowed a beach ball.

"Tony, you don't want to rush these things. When you're with a woman, you take it slow or you'll be finished before the woman even gets started."

"House!" Cameron yelled at him. "That's not what I meant and you know it!"

"Ahh, man!" He turned off the television and looked at Tony. "What did you have to go and do something so stupid for? For Christ's sake–you acted like you wanted to be caught. Right here in the living room!"

"I'm sorry, Dad. I won't do it again," Tony told his father.

"There. See? He said he won't do it again." House looked at Cameron but this time she put her hands on her hips and stared at him. "Fine. We'll go and have "the talk." But I'm watching TV when I get done. Imbecile Boy–upstairs in your room. This is for men–not the womenfolk."

Tony preceded his father up the stairs and went straight into his bedroom, sitting in front of his computer and turning to look at House as he closed the door and leaned against it.

"Do you have any questions?" House asked.

Tony looked at him blankly. "About what?"

"The basics–birds do it–bees do it."

"No, we learned all about it in school."

"Okay. Are you a virgin?"

"Dad!"

"Answer me or I'll get your mom up here."

"Yes. I'm a virgin. I haven't gone–all the way–yet."

"Do you have plans on going all the way soon?"

"Of course," Tony said in a "duh" voice.

"Do you have condoms?"

"No. That's why I haven't gone all the way yet."

"Okay." House ran his hand over his hair and finally looked at the boy with concern. "Look. Your mom is right. Don't rush into this. Okay? And this crap with having one girl Tuesday and another one Thursday has got to stop."

"But they like me–and I like them."

"Tony, it isn't a game you're playing. Especially when it comes to young girls. You might think it's just some fun, but the girls put their hearts into it. Christ, Tony–there's so many reasons for you "not" to jump into this. I could write a list for you. STDs aren't always curable. You don't want to end up with some damn disease for the rest of your life just because you messed around and were irresponsible when you were a kid." He paused, then looked at his son again. "Is any of this sinking in?"

"Yes, Dad."

"Does it make sense?"

"Yes, Dad."

"But you're still going to jump right in as soon as you can?"

"How old were you when you first did it?"

"Thirty-five."

"Nice try, Dad. You were only thirty-three when I was born." He tried again. "How old?"

"What difference does it make? I could be lying. I could say I was twenty-two and you'd never know the difference."

"Dad!"

"Alright–I was fourteen–but it was different back then! And it wasn't with another young girl–it was an older one. She was over eighteen so I didn't have to worry about some irate father bringing charges of statutory rape against me."

"Is that why you got a thing for older women?" Tony asked snidely. "I'm not into older chicks, Dad. That might be your thing–but it isn't mine."

"What are you talking about? Your mother's fifteen years "younger" than me. So I wouldn't say I was "into older chicks."

"Really? What about that witch you were with in between your times with mom? She's older than you, isn't she?" When House just stared at him, Tony continued. "Stacey Warner, Dad. Remember her?"

"Don't push your luck with me, Tony. What I did–and whom I did it with while I wasn't with your mother is none of your concern." House turned and left the room.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

When House came downstairs he found Cameron in her kitchen beginning to prepare dinner. She was tossing a salad at the counter as he walked up behind her, lowered himself until he was pressing his groin against her beautifully rounded buttocks and then placed a hand on each breast.

"You know what happens when you do that," Cameron said quietly as she wiggled her behind against him. She pushed the salad to the side and turned around to face him. "I'll never have dinner ready for Lisa and Wilson if that happens."

"See. You're tired of me already."

"That'll be the day." She looked up at him. "I'm sorry I sent you to take care of Tony. I should have been able to handle it myself. So, how did it go?"

"It sucked." He moved away from her. "I said don't–he said don't count on it. Simple as that."

"No, it isn't as simple as that. He's still a child! He's only fourteen years old. And that girl–she's in the same classes as he is–so she's probably only fourteen as well." She walked in front of him to be sure she had his attention again. "That is completely too young!"

"I know. I told him that. Hopefully he'll hold off for a while yet."

"Is that "all" there was to your conversation?" She looked at him closely.

"Yes. Why?"

"Because you went from nearly bending me over the counter to practically moving out of the kitchen. What else did you say?"

"Nothing. When are Wilson and Cuddy coming?"

"In about an hour."

"I'm watching television until they get here."

Dinner was finished and the five people were sitting around the table in various states of mind. Cameron kept a watchful eye on House and Tony, watching how they barely looked at one another throughout dinner. Tony was not only avoiding his father's gaze, he wasn't looking at his mother. As a matter of fact, his contribution to the conversation was nil. Cuddy and Wilson tried to keep the conversation and atmosphere light, but picked up on the small family's stress.

"I've got homework to do." Tony got up from his seat and took his dishes to the kitchen then went upstairs.

Wilson and Cuddy watched as Cameron played with her food on her plate while House used his utensils with extra force than need be. Finally when all the plates were cleared and House and Wilson each had a beer in front of them Wilson reached into his pocket and pulled out two cigars. He handed one to House and kept one for himself. House took the object and looked questioningly at Wilson until Cameron squealed when she realized its significance.

"You're going to have a baby!" Cameron said happily for them.

Cuddy smiled widely and shook her head yes. When Wilson took her left hand in his and raised it up onto the tabletop, her smile widened.

"That's not all," Wilson told his friends.

They all looked at the large sparkling engagement ring on Cuddy's finger.

"Oh, Lisa, that's wonderful! How far are you? And when are you getting married?"

Cameron's excitement for them sounded in her voice.

"Three and a half months," Lisa told her. "Thank God I'm into my second trimester! I was so sick! Usually only in the mornings, but sometimes, at its worse, it would last until around three in the afternoon. I'm relieved I wasn't as sick as you were. I don't know if I could have made it being sick around the clock."

"Three and a half months? Why didn't you tell us before?"

"We wanted to be sure she got through the first trimester safely. No sense in building anyone's hopes up in case she lost it. We know it's still a possibility, but it's less of a possibility now," Wilson explained to them. "We didn't let anyone know. Well, except Lisa's secretary, Sarah. She kept the people out of her office on the mornings she was sick. She would tell them she was in a meeting and couldn't be disturbed."

"Now when we go to Babies R Us, we'll be shopping for both of us," Cameron smiled widely at her friend. "And the marriage? When did you ask her? When did you both know this is what you wanted?"

"I asked her two weeks ago. But I think we both knew this was the right step to take for us, oh–I don't know–I think the night you called and thought we were . . ."

"Don't remind me of that night!" Cameron laughed.

"On the way home that night we were discussing things, and I think we realized that we wanted to be together–no, needed to be together. James finally got the last of his things moved in this week," said Lisa.

"What do you say you and I take these Cuban specials out onto the patio and light them up?" Wilson asked House, noting that he hadn't said a word since he handed him the cigar.

The two men stood in the semi-darkness of a full moon, each standing at the railing of the patio deck as they looked out past the covered swimming pool.

"Sooo," Wilson started. "Why so quiet? You haven't said a word since you found out Lisa was pregnant."

"If you hadn't noticed. I try not to chew and talk at the same time."

"You found out "after" dinner."

"You come out here to interrogate me about my "feelings" or to smoke an expensive cigar?"

"Both, actually. I noticed you and Cameron weren't acting yourselves tonight. But I wanted to make sure your silence didn't have anything to do with Lisa and I."

House took a puff on his cigar and glanced over at his friend before turning around and leaning against the railing. He let his gaze go through the patio doors to where he could see Cuddy and Cameron animatedly talking.

"No. It has nothing to do with you and Cuddy. We had a little "predicament" today, that's all."

"You and Cameron?" Wilson took a drag on his cigar as he looked over at House.

"When we got home from work, we found the kid and some girl going at it on the couch. Cameron sort of freaked. She made me take him upstairs and set him straight on the hazzards of having sex at fourteen and a half."

"He was having sex?" Wilson asked with raised brows.

"Technically–yes. But not really. They were messing around. But they weren't going all the way. Not that he isn't chomping at the bit to get started."

"Hmm. Fourteen, though. That's still a bit too young. I hope you convinced him to wait until he was a few years older."

"I don't know what I convinced him–other than pissing him off, and then he went somewhere in the conversation he shouldn't have gone and he pissed me off."

"And where exactly was that?"

Another drag on his cigar. "He brought Stacey into it. He said I had a "thing" for older chicks."

"And this is what you're so upset about?" Wilson turned more fully toward him. "He insulted your ex-girlfriend and now you're mad at him?"

"I don't know what I am. It's not like she ever did anything to him. She's an innocent victim here–and just because the kid gets pissed at me, there's no reason for him to . . ."

"Criticize someone who left you–twice. Someone who's married to someone else and still came back to bait you into sleeping with her. Someone who, while she was here, did everything she could do to hurt Cameron; every chance she could take to rub the fact into Cameron's face that she had not only her husband, but you. Should I go on?"

"Nice to know you think so highly of her." House looked away from Cameron and Cuddy and turned to look in the opposite direction again. "Stacey didn't "bait" me into sleeping with her–I went willingly. She didn't intentionally rub anything in Cameron's face. If she took it that way, then she was just seeing the obvious. And she didn't leave me the second time–I sent her away."

"Oh, please!" Wilson snorted. "First of all–you may have sent her away, but as soon as Mark was back on his feet, she would've been back to playing the two of you against one another. She got a vicarious thrill out of seeing you two sparring for her. Second of all–she "did" rub it in Cameron's face. She would spend half her day tracking you down and chasing you all over the hospital–then she'd accuse you of stalking her–and take great pleasure in making sure Cameron heard about it. And about sleeping with her. Well, you're just a moron. Nothing can be done about that."

"So I'm a moron, huh?"

"Yes. I'd say so. Look at what you've got! A beautiful woman carrying your child who wants to be with you. Doesn't that mean anything to you? "Your" child is living inside her body. And don't forget the son she gave birth to fourteen years ago. He may be misguided in a lot of things–those things he gets from you–but all in all–he's a great kid! And here you are, moping all night about of someone who gave you nothing but misery."

"It wasn't all misery. I loved her."

"Oh, House!" Wilson stubbed his cigar out and threw it in the grass. "That's the key word. Don't you realize that? "Loved." It's over–or for God's sake, I hope it is. For Cameron's and Tony's sakes if nobody else's. You better look at what you've got before you lose it. And by God, if you lose Cameron and Tony, I have no doubts that you'll realize what "real" love was all about. Then you can mope over them and not the queen of deceit."

"I know what I have here. I never said I didn't."

"Do you? Tell me something, House. Do you love her?"

"Cameron?" House asked, then went on after receiving and affirmative nod. "Yes."

"Have you told her?"

"Yeah. When we were having sex a few weeks ago."

"That's it? One time? During sex?"

"She wouldn't want me going around telling her that I love her all the time. It wouldn't be real. It wouldn't be me."

"Maybe she would. You ought to try stepping out of character once in a blue moon. It might open your eyes a little and show you what's really bothering you."

"And you know what that is, do you?"

"Yes. The life you had with Stacey was pretty much "do what you want, when you want to, how you want to." Now here you are with a woman you're nuts about, but she comes with two kids attached to her–as well as attached to yourself. And tonight you had your first major conflict with your son–the first of many, I might add, because it's only the beginning. And you were faced with the responsibility of being the grown-up. You're running scared."

"Maybe." He took another drag on his cigar. "You got any recommendations?"

"Yeah," Wilson said in a surprised tone. "Take Cameron upstairs tonight and make love to her and let yourself feel it. Then slap Tony on the back of the head and tell him if he doesn't stop having girls play with his dick, it'll fall off."

House chuckled at this, then added with his cigar still clenched between his teeth. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Okay. Now, the final question. Will you stand up for me at the wedding next month?"

House looked over at him. "That's cutting it kinda close, isn't it?"

"No, we decided to go before a judge."

"Okay. I'll be there. Get me the time and place."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

House walked into the empty Diagnostics Department's conference room and filled his mug with leftover coffee that Cameron had brewed that morning. It was starting to cool down but he needed the caffeine rush. He picked up the file he had been planing to go through and started for his office just as Chase exited through the front door.

"Hey Kangaroo Boy," House called after him, startling him and making him stop suddenly to look back at him. "What are you doing in my office?"

"Actually, I was looking for you. I didn't see you in the conference room," he said as he gave a double take on the suit House was wearing. It was most uncommon for House to be in anything other than his band t-shirts, button down oxfords, blue jeans and sneakers. Today he wore a black suit with a black shirt and red tie. "I ran those labs, and other than some mildly high glucoses, they came back normal."

"Then I suggest we sit on it for a few hours and see if there are any new symptoms."

"Alright. I'll go join Foreman in the clinic, then." He turned and headed for the elevators.

House went to his desk and was about to sit down when he noticed his email screen was up. "Odd," he thought, "I didn't even go in to check my email this morning." When he pulled his seat out he saw a small box that had come from the hospital's gift shop. It was covered in silver foil with a bright blue bow. He opened it to find a candy cane with a sprig of mistletoe attached to it. The card read, "I'm in need of a cane-wielding lover to meet me under the mistletoe at about one o'clock." House looked confused. "What mistletoe?" He flipped the card over and read the back. "Look above your sofa." House looked at the ceiling above his sofa and saw two bouquets of mistletoe hanging by red and green ribbon. He looked at his watch. It was twelve-fifty-five.

He closed his blinds and locked the door between the conference room and his office, then went to the door of his balcony and stared out at the snow flurries as they blew down from the sky. It had been over two weeks since his talk with Tony and Wilson. He had to give credit where credit was due–Wilson's advice helped ease the tension between the boy and himself. He even went so far as to use Wilson's own words regarding the falling off of certain parts of the boy's body, which brought a thoroughly disgusted, "Dad! You're gross!" After that, their conversations came easier and he felt more at ease discussing the process of growing up with the boy. He knew that Cameron also spoke to him, giving him the cons to becoming an early father–catching an STD–but mainly the emotional growth that he needed to do before he should go into the physical aspect of a relationship.

House heard the door open behind him and he turned to see the most beautiful creature that was ever made. Cameron entered with a soft smile as she locked the door behind her. She was a sight to behold with her hair pulled back from her face but still hanging down around her shoulders, wearing her lab coat and the blue maternity dress that flowed down over her enlarging baby bump. She still wore heels, although they were sensibly only two inches.

"Gawd, you look so hot in that suit!" She groaned then pulled her panties and hose from her lab coat pocket, dangling them on her finger as she approached him..

He took her articles of clothing from her and stuffed them in his jacket pocket as she removed her lab coat. She took his coffee mug placed it on his book shelf then reached up and put her arms around his neck. She looked into his eyes for the longest moments then stepped up on tip toe and pulled him gently down to meet her kiss. It was a gentle kiss, and he put his arms around her, then moved his kiss down along her neck and shoulder.

He backed her up to his desk and she moved to sit on it, spreading her legs and allowing him to step between them. He looked down at her as he unbuttoned the top buttons of her dress and pushed it over her shoulders then unhooked her bra and allowed that to fall off of her arms. She knew what he wanted to do as she placed her hands behind her, leaning back and allowing him to gaze at her before he subconsciously licked his lips and bent to press that beautiful tongue into her mouth. His right hand found her breast and squeezed it, massaged it and expertly rolled her hardened nipple between his long fingers. He repeated the same procedure on her other breast as his tongue lapped at her mouth. She was passive as he kissed her at first, until she felt him nipping at her lower lip, indicating he wanted a response from her. She answered his message by sitting forward and placing a hand on each side of his face, pressing her tongue into his mouth and then sucking his into hers.

"What do ya say, green eyes? Wanna go all the way–or just mess around a little?" He asked against her mouth.

She pulled her head back and looked at him, biting her lip in indecision.

"Do we have time?"

"For a quickie, I think," he told her as he dropped his mouth to her exposed breast, rolling his tongue around her nipple and then sucking gently.

"Ohhh, God. I don't care," she moaned as she held his head to her and he gently lowered her onto his desk until she lay across it with her hips at the edge.

He quickly removed his jacket and tossed it onto a neighboring chair then resumed his attention to her breasts as he ran his hands over her now exposed thighs, bringing shivers to her as she spread herself wider to him. He pulled her dress lower as he moved his kiss down to her enlarged abdomen. At six and a half months there was no disguising her condition any longer and he was feeling an intense pride in the fact. She gently stroked his stubbled face as he paused at her stomach, showering tender kisses over it before moving on. He kissed her thighs, lightly rubbing his stubble over their inner sensitivity and provoking her to reach down and grasp his hair. He nipped at and sucked the flesh on her upper thigh, making her whimper as she placed her left leg over his shoulder. Finally he moved his kiss to her mound, turning her whimper to a deep moan as he licked over her stone-like nub. He continued his task, alternately running his tongue over her entire length and sucking and flicking his tongue over her clit until she was frantically moving her hips in response to his glorious attention.

Without any hesitation he stood up, opened his belt and dropped his pants to his knees. He gave her little warning as he pressed his massive bulk into her, watching her open her eyes and look up at him. Her beautiful green eyes shining only for him. He took her hands and leaned over her as he started pumping inside of her, leaning on his elbows as he intertwined his long fingers with hers. He dropped his head to her breasts again and suckled gently at first, then his intensity increased as did the rhythm of his hips. When he felt her legs tighten around him he reached down between them and ran his thumb over her nub, repeating stroking it as he pressed deeper and deeper inside of her until he could feel her silken walls clasping him, pulling him until he also reached his peak and he slowly worked his way up her chest to her neck where he practically collapsed against her. It took a few moments for their breathing to calm down and he chuckled softly against her neck as she continued stroking his hair.

"You like that, did ya?" He asked.

"Oh, it was okay," she told him smugly.

He moved until he was leaning on his elbows and looking down at her. "Okay?"

"Mm-hmm." She couldn't hide the smile that was tugging at the corners of her mouth as she looked back at him.

"Just–okay."

"You conceited beast! You know it was wonderful–as always."

"Yeah–I know."

He smiled at her and gave her a quick peck on the lips before lifting himself off of her and reaching for tissues to clean themselves. He handed several to her, then wiped himself clean and pulled his pants back up and tucked his shirt inside.

"Greg!" She called as she turned from side to side, finally catching his attention and bringing another chuckle from him as he reached out and took her hands, assisting her off her back and onto her feet.

"Getting a little lopsided there?"

"I am when I'm spread eagle on your desk!"

"But you looked so lovely in that position." He pulled his jacket on and grabbed his cane. "You ready? I'm sure Cuddy and Wilson are impatiently waiting for us at the court house by now."

"Greg!" She stood looking at him as if he had lost his mind. "In your pocket!"

He reached in and pulled out her panties and pantyhose then looked at her blankly. "I thought you wanted me to keep them."

"Very funny. Now give them here. It's the middle of December–if you think I'm going to go to our best friends' wedding in this cold weather with no underwear–you're sorely mistaken."

"Suit yourself, but I would have enjoyed it."

House handed the articles in question to her then sat back in his chair as she finished getting dressed. He glanced at his computer screen that had long ago gone to its screen saver and wondered again why it was on his email page when he came in. He grabbed the mouse and brought his email back up, glancing over it to see that there were no urgent messages or anything out of the usual.

"I'm ready," Cameron finally told him and he closed his email and followed her out of his office.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

It was Christmas Eve and House sat alone in his office. It was already after five and quite dark outside. His mood matched the dimness of the room. He was waiting. Waiting for the inevitable showdown between father and son–and eventually grandfather and grandson. He knew they were coming. Wilson alerted him to the telephone conversation he had had with Blythe House nearly half an hour earlier. She wanted to know where her son was. She and her husband had arrived at Princeton and they had not been able to reach their son by telephone for weeks. Now they were coming straight to the hospital to spend a few hours with him before catching another flight to Houston to visit Blythe's sister and her husband.

"How many weeks of not picking up his damn telephone." House clenched when he heard his father's bellow coming down the hall. Even in his calmest moments, John House's voice seemed to reverberate off the walls. "I'm just saying that if he doesn't want to see us, that's fine. The least he could do is return your phone calls so you know he's still alive."

"He's been busy, John. James told us he hasn't been home much these past weeks." Blythe's voice tried to soothe her husband.

"Yeah, I know–too busy to dial a phone." John's eyes met House's as he came through the door. "Well, well. Look who's alive and well, sitting there without a care in the world."

"Good to see you too, Dad," House said dully, then gave a small smile to his mother as he got to his feet and greeted her with a hug. "Mom."

"Hello, Greg," Blythe said warmly. "How have you been, dear? James told me that you've some good news to share with us."

"Well–Wilson and Cuddy got married a couple of weeks ago." He motioned toward his couch. "Sit down, Mom–Dad."

"Oh, how wonderful," Blythe said enthusiastically, but House could see the disappointment in her eyes. She was hoping for some good news regarding her son, not her son's best friend. "I'm sure they'll make an excellent match for one another."

"And if not, he'll just keep trying," John House said dryly as he put his and his wife's coats on the end of the sofa, then sat next to her. "What is this? His fifth time?"

"Fourth," House told his father, then looked back to his mother. "How was your trip?"

"It was lovely, dear. . ."

"Too damn hot," John interrupted. "And now we're going down to Houston and it'll be hot down there too."

"Oh, I don't know. It won't be too bad this time of year." Blythe looked at her husband, then turned back to House. "Honey, I really don't think James was talking about his marriage to Lisa when he told me you had some news to share."

"They're having a baby together." He looked at her and saw the happiness wash over her face but at the same time he saw a moment of emptiness in her eyes.

"Really? When is she due?"

"I don't know–some time late spring or early summer."

"Well, it's about time. They're both getting up there in age. But at least they did it." John stared at his son with obvious disapproval.

"That's not fair, John. Greg just hasn't found the right woman. And who needs a grandbaby anyway?" She looked back at House. "We're doing just fine, as is."

"Yeah," House looked over at her. "Well. . .I guess that has something to do with the news Wilson was actually referring to."

He leaned back against his desk as he looked down at them. He didn't know how to approach it. Somehow "Hey Mom and Dad—I have a fourteen-year-old son and another kid on the way!" didn't seem quite appropriate. His mother saw his hesitation leaned forward.

"What is it, Greg?"

"During your last visit, you met one of my staff–Dr. Cameron." He looked at his mother who smiled then tried to cover her smile with her hand.

"Oh Greg! You're going to marry her!" Blythe said softly.

"What?" John looked from his wife to House with wide eyes. "Who is this Dr. Cameron? That young girl who was working for you? The one we invited to dinner with us?"

"Yes, that's her," he told his father then turned to his mother again. "No, Mom. It's something more than that. You've got to be patient for this because it's a long story."

"Alright," she said slowly.

"This ought to be good," John said with a snort.

House picked up his large tennis ball and stared at it a moment, trying to find the words, then decided to just get on with it.

"About fifteen years ago I was a guest speaker at a medical conference that included a scholarship ceremony in Ocean City, Maryland. There were several candidates for scholarships for medical school. While I was there I spent as little time as possible in the actual conference and as much time as I could in the bars along the boardwalk. So, to say my judgement was impaired would be putting it lightly. Anyway, Dr. Cameron was one of the candidates for the scholarships and without going into great detail, she and I ended up . . .well. . .spending the night together. And well, she became pregnant."

"And "how" old was she?" John asked sharply.

"She was eighteen. I was thirty-three. And yeah, I know, it was despicable, but it happened over fifteen years ago and nothing can be done about it now!" He said to his father. "Would you like me to continue?"

"And you knew about this pregnancy?" His father asked just as sharply.

"No. No, I didn't. I was drunk and left the following morning without ever thinking about it again."

"But there "was" a child?" Blythe got to her feet and stared at him, awe in her eyes as she waited expectantly for his answer.

"Yes. There's a child." House smiled at his mother, knowing that this was the news she had waited a long time to hear. "His name is Anthony. Everyone calls him Tony–except me, I usually call him an idiot," House said, then regretted saying it when he saw the concern in his mother's eyes.

"Oh, he isn't really, is he?"

"No, Mom. He's actually quite intelligent."

"How long has she been working for you?" John asked. "Do you mean you've known all this time she's been here–and you never thought we might like to know we have a goddamn grandson?"

"I didn't know. Cameron never told me about him. He was living in Illinois with her parents all this time. And. . ." He dropped his eyes a moment then looked back up at him. "I didn't fully recognize her when she came to work for me. I didn't know anything about Tony. I didn't realize I had been with Cameron fifteen years ago."

"Oh, honey, but there was something there. How could you not know it? I saw it in the way you looked at her."

"What kind of a girl takes your son and doesn't let you know he even exists?" John asked.

"John, that's easy. One who is afraid and confused and only eighteen years old." Blythe turned back to House again. "When did she tell you that you had a son?"

"Actually, it was Tony and his grandmother who decided it was time I got to know him. He just showed up here one day last May and pretty much let the cat out of the bag."

"Greg, where is he? Can we meet him?" Blythe asked with hopeful eyes.

"Yeah. Yeah, you can meet him today if you want. He's at home–or he better be at home by now. He was out with his friends today."

"At home? Is he living with you?"

"No. He's living at his mother's house."

"And what's the status of the relationship with this girl? Are you sharing custody? Do you have visitation?" John asked, still skeptically.

"We're pretty much living together. I still have my apartment, but I don't stay there much."

"I knew it!" Blythe smiled widely at her son. "I knew you were going to have a relationship with her when we were here last!"

"Well, there's still something else I need to tell you. Allison. . .her name is Allison, by the way. Allison is almost seven months pregnant."

"Ohh!" Blythe's excitement was glowing.

"With "your" seed?" John asked blatantly.

"Yes." House answered simply. This time Blythe's excitement couldn't be contained as she went to her son and hugged him very tightly. When she finally looked up at him she had tears on her cheeks.

"Two grandbabies!" She looked back at her husband. "John–two grandbabies!"

"Yeah." John got to his feet and picked up their coats, handing one to her as he started for the office door. "We better go see this for ourselves and see what kind of a kid Greg is capable of reproducing."


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

By the time House reached Cameron's place, he was ready to run inside and hide. The questions never seemed to stop. Finally, as he opened the door and followed them inside, he hoped he had answered all their questions.

The foyer was dark, lit only by the lights coming from the living room and kitchen. House took them into the living room where a Christmas tree lit up the corner of the room with twinkling lights. Christmas carols were sounding throughout the house, covering up any noise their entrance may have made. He went back to the foyer where he called up the stairs to Tony, then he went toward the kitchen to find Cameron.

Tony came down the stairs and went straight into the living room where he thought his father was waiting for him.

"Yeah," he mumbled. "I know. No sex until I'm twenty-five."

He stopped immediately upon site of the elderly couple still standing in the center of the room.

"This is a promising beginning," John House rolled his eyes.

"I'm sorry," Tony looked at them with embarrassment. "I thought my dad was in here. That was meant for him."

"Well, I don't know about twenty-five," Blythe began as she walked over to him and put her hands on his face, looking at him closely and with enormous satisfaction. "But a few more years, definitely wouldn't be a bad thing."

Tony stood awkwardly, slightly bent to lower himself to her height of about five and a half feet. His eyes went from her to the man still holding his coat behind her.

"Excuse me, Ma'am." Tony looked back at Blythe. "Do I know you?"

"No, I don't suppose you do, but I've been waiting a lifetime to meet you." She beamed at him. "John. Look at him. Everything about him is Greg."

"Tony, meet your grandparents," House stood in the doorway with Cameron as she wiped her hands on a dish towel, obviously working on dinner. "Your grandmother, Blythe House, and your grandfather, John House."

Tony's expression changed from embarrassment to great curiosity as he looked at them. He smiled at his grandmother when he saw tears about to spill from her eyes and he hugged her gently. "It's okay," he told her. "I'm really not that bad."

Blythe laughed at him and hugged him back, lying her head against his shoulder, then turned to look at her son and Cameron.

"Hello, Mrs. House." Cameron smiled widely at the other woman and moved forward, offering her hand in a handshake which Blythe simply looked at a moment, then opened her arms to her.

"I think at this point, we're beyond shaking hands, don't you?" She hugged Cameron tightly then stepped back and placed her hand on her swollen abdomen. "And when is this one due?"

"Not until March second," Cameron told her then turned to look at John. "Mr. House, it's good to see you again."

"Dr. Cameron," he acknowledged. "It looks like you've become a member of the House family. I'm glad to see that Greg is finally beginning to come to his senses and make some adequate decisions in his life. But I must say, I would have started courting you a lot sooner than this–nearly grown son or not."

"John," Blythe said gently. "You know he was being careful. He was hurt before by that. . .woman."

"Is that what you call her?" John asked, then looked back at Cameron. "At any rate, I think he's making a much better choice this time. I told you before that Greg has told us a lot about you."

"Yes, you did," Cameron smiled at him. "But you were lying."

"Everybody lies," both House and his father mumbled at the same time.

"Mr. and Mrs. House, we were just about to have dinner. Why don't you have a seat while I set the table." Cameron suggested.

"Please, let me help you," Blythe said. "And call me Blythe. There is no need to be so formal with us."

"Alright." Cameron smiled at her again. "I'll put the food on the table and you arrange the dishes."

"Greg, why don't you turn on a lamp so I can get a better look at this boy," John told House, to which he reached to the wall next to where he was leaning and turned up a dimmer switch until two lamps were burning brightly. "Come here, boy."

Tony glanced at his father then walked over to stand in front of his grandfather. "My name is Tony."

"Yeah, I know it." He turned to House. "Jeez, he looks just like ya."

"Sorry," House said dimly. "I'll try harder to make the next one look like Cameron."

"Now, did I say that?" John turned irritated eyes toward House. "There ya go again, twisting everything around that I say."

"I heard you were a marine," Tony interrupted, turning his grandfather's attention back onto himself.

"That's right. A career man."

"That must have been a rough life, moving around a lot."

"Is that what "he" said?" John gestured toward House who continued to look at the floor.

"No. Actually, he hasn't told me much of anything about you. Dr. Wilson's the one who told me." Tony looked his grandfather square in the eye. "He said you were a tough old coot and I should hope I never have to come face to face with you. He said you'd eat me up and spit me out without blinking an eye."

"Well, Wilson needs to learn to keep his mouth shut. He's gone and turned you against me even before I had the chance to meet you!" John said gruffly.

"He didn't turn me against you."

"Oh, he didn't? I guess you like the idea of being eaten up and spit out then."

"I don't run from the idea. Give it your best shot, old man." Tony smiled at him.

"Just because you're my only grandson, doesn't make you any better than any of the thousands of young pups I ground beneath my boots and made into marines."

"And just because you're my grandfather doesn't mean I'm going to lie down like a whipped dog and beg you to scratch my belly."

"You should be so lucky. Do you always talk to your elders this way or is this behavior reserved just for me?"

"No, I don't talk to all my elders this way–only the ones who ask for it. Ask him." Tony nodded toward his father. "We get into it all the time."

"Is that true?"

"Mostly," House told him.

"Good! It's pay-back time for all the back-talk I got from you when you were his age!"

"Sit down, Dad," House moved toward the couch and motioned that the older man should join him as Tony moved to the chair. He realized that his father was thoroughly enjoying this battle of wits with his grandson. He actually seemed pleased that the boy was sparring with him. As John took his seat, he glanced over at House and House could have sworn he actually saw a spark of pride in his eyes before he turned back to the boy and continued bantering with him.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

It was decided that John and Blythe would put off their trip to visit her sister in Houston until after Christmas and spend the holiday with their son and his newfound family. To say that House was a bit on edge would be putting it mildly, but for the sake of Cameron and Tony, he maintained his temper around his father. He was somewhat relieved to see the older man's attention was taken up by Tony most of the time. Whether they were arguing over that trash that Tony called music or the possibility of Tony going into military school, Tony kept up with his grandfather note per note, yet always seemed to be wearing a smile as he was doing it. John, on the other hand, would rant at the boy, then subsequently walk away with a chuckle and a half-smile. House realized that what he avoided, absolutely hated, from this man was what his son was not only putting up with, but seemed to be relishing in. House was actually wondering if his son was destined to be a lawyer. He most certainly would be qualified to join the Debate Team at school.

Blythe seemed to be torn between her grandson and her new grandbaby as she would practically shadow Cameron throughout the day on Christmas. She also took great joy in helping prepare a Christmas dinner; something she claimed she hadn't done for years. But each time Tony would enter the kitchen with his mother and grandmother, she would at some point take his face in her hands and coo, "You're such a handsome boy. Do you know that?"

"Yes, Grandmother–you told me the last time I came out to the kitchen."

And at other times she would go into the room as her husband and son were watching football and sit with Tony, asking him about almost every aspect of his life. She would sit and hold his hands and listen to him describing what it was like growing up in Illinois, what his other grandparents were like, what it has been like getting to know his father, how he's fitting in at his new school. There was very little she didn't ask him.

After the initial shock of learning whom these people were, it didn't take long for Tony to absolutely adore his grandmother–but it was his grandfather he would seek out during the day. Cameron and Blythe would stand and watch as the three men would silently watch the football games throughout Christmas day. When House wasn't aware of it, Cameron would snap pictures of the three of them with her cell and send them on to Wilson and Cuddy. At first, when Tony and John would begin their dispute of the hour, Blythe would try to step in, but House and Cameron would gently persuade her to leave them alone as they would go about their heated conversations.

Blythe's time with her son was spent alone. A quiet corner of the house while everyone else was busy and she would give him the nurturing he needed. But it was during one of these private conversations that they were rudely interrupted as a football crashed through the window of the french glass door next to Blythe.

"Oh my goodness!" She said looking over at House who bent to pick up the ball.

"Why in the hell did you let that go through the window?" John House's voice boomed across the yard and into the room where his wife and son were now looking back out at him.

"Me?" Tony argued back. "Why did you "throw" it through the window? Now we gotta fix it and we'll miss the last bowl game."

"I didn't throw it through the window! You were supposed to catch it. I thought you said you were on the football team back on the farm!"

"I was! I thought you said you were on a football team too. Who ever taught you to throw a football?"

"I "was" on a football team!"

"Yeah–a century ago," Tony mumbled.

"I heard that! So what if it was fifty years ago? I still have a strong arm."

"Says you."

"I could still whomp your butt!"

Tony now was on the verge of giggling at his grandfather whose face was turning bright red. "Yeah? I'd like to see you try."

"Hmph. I'm going in to see if dinner's almost done." John turned and headed into the back door by the kitchen while Tony walked back to the room where his father and grandmother were standing.

"What do you think should be done about this?" House pointed to the broken window with his cane as Tony pushed the door open.

"I think we should tape some plastic and cardboard over it since the hardware stores are closed today–then tomorrow go and buy a new pane of glass." Tony told him.

"Then get to it."

"No, Tony," Blythe stopped the boy from picking the glass from the window and off the floor. "You go get the things to repair it and I'll take care of the glass. I don't want you to cut yourself."

Tony left the room and House looked at his mother as she pulled a waste paper can over by the door and started putting the broken pieces into it.

"Mom, he's not a baby," he told her.

"He's my grandbaby–even if he is fourteen years old. So if I want to pamper him a little before he's all the way grown up–I will."

The next day Wilson and Cuddy stopped in but within half an hour they were each leaving again with different groups of people. Wilson drove House, John, and Tony to the hardware store where they picked up the pane of glass and other accessories needed to replace the window; while Cuddy rode along with Cameron and Blythe in search of the perfect gift for the baby from its grandparents.

After listening to the proper techniques of replacing a glass pane all the way to and from the hardware store, Wilson and House decided it would be best to stand back and let the "self-proclaimed" experts replace the window. They each went into the living room with a beer and watched television while John and Tony worked on the door. When the women returned, Wilson and Tony were elected to unload the vehicle of its cargo, each wondering how they managed to fit everything into the trunk and back seat of the car to begin with. But this time after lugging an unassembled crib, a dressing table and a full-sized dresser upstairs and into the nursery, Wilson didn't quite make it to the living room before Cuddy stopped him.

"Where do you think you're going?" Cuddy asked Wilson as he was about to go into the living room with House .

"In there–to watch TV." He pointed with his beer-carrying hand.

"Oh, no you're not. You can get upstairs and help that poor man put that crib together," she said, astonished that he would be so unchivalrous.

"What poor man?" He asked, genuinely not knowing who she was talking about for a second. She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot as she stared at him. Wilson's eyes grew large as he pointed toward the stairs. "You mean him?"

"Of course I mean him! The man's seventy years old and you have him doing work that you and House should be doing!"

"But he told me to get my soft doctor's hands out of there and let the real men handle it!" He tried to explain.

"James! Go up there and help him!"

"Fine, but if he hits me, you're gonna help put me back together," he moped as he started for the stairs.

"House!" She walked to the edge of the living room. "If James has to go up and help–you do too. It is your baby, after all."

"Cripple." He lifts his cane then continues watching television. "Can't get down on the floor like they can."

"No, Gregory, but you can hand them things if they need it." Blythe stood behind Cuddy.

"Mom," he whined as he got to his feet and moved past them.

"That's better, dear. I'm sure you can help in some way."

By five o'clock that afternoon the senior House was loading luggage into the trunk of a taxi as his wife hugged Cameron, then moved on to Tony who returned her hug and kissed her on the cheek. She moved to where House was standing and he lowered his head for her kiss.

"You take good care of this family, Greg. They're so precious. Take the time to enjoy them." Blythe kissed his cheek and hugged him as John moved to the front of the taxi to join them.

He opened the door for Blythe and allowed her to get in, but when Blythe called a final goodbye and the boy failed to respond, he stopped and turned to look at his grandson.

"If you'd stop listening to all that garbage you call music–you might have heard your grandmother saying goodbye."

"John, stop it. You know our parents said the same thing about our music when we were his age." Blythe told him.

"Oh come on, how does this new age rap crap compare to the Big Bopper or Buddy Holly?" John House sat next to his wife as the taxi drove away.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

On New Year's Eve House stood alone in the living room where the Christmas tree provided the only illumination from its sparkling twinkle lights. He knew Tony wouldn't be home tonight as he was spending the night with one of his friends. Cameron, though, was just finishing up her shower and came downstairs to join him.

"Greg?" Cameron moved to the doorway of the livingroom, looking at him through the semi-darkness as he stood near the mantel.

He looked up at her and smiled gently. She looked adorable in her white nightshirt that closely resembled a man's dress shirt. She had her hair clipped up with loose strands falling down her neck, framing her face in softness. Her collar was turned up and her buttons were opened to her bosom, exposing the rounded globes and highlighting the ever enlarging abdomen beneath them. He took in her long legs that flowed beneath the hem of the apparel and her dainty, slim feet. He watched as she walked toward him with her right hand behind her, massaging the small of her back and he opened his arms and allowed her to press herself against him and rest her head on his chest. He reached down and rubbed her back where her hands had just been, hearing her groan with pleasure.

"Tired?" He asked against her hair.

"Very," she let her hands travel up the inside of his t-shirt and over his back. "Oooh, right there."

He massaged where she indicated. "Too tired to bring in the new year?"

"Not really. This is my first New Year's with you. I don't want to sleep through it."

"What would you rather do?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"Could we just cuddle for awhile? I could rub your leg–and you could rub my back," she suggested.

"How about if we just concentrate on your back for right now?" He walked with her until they were next to the sofa and he picked up an afghan that had been a gift from Cuddy. "Where do you want to go? On the floor? Or on the sofa?"

"Well." She bit her lip as she looked up at him. "We'd have more room on the floor–but we might need a crane to get us both back up again."

"Then we'll have a race to see who can get up faster." He spread the afghan out in front of the Christmas tree then threw as many throw-pillows as he could find on top of it. Using the coffee table and sofa, he maneuvered himself until he was on his knees, then took her hand as she lowered herself next to him. "There, lay back against those pillows."

She positioned herself on the pile in a reclining position with her legs lying in his direction. He sat next to her, and picked up her bare foot, pressing his fingers into it and massaging it as she watched him.

"Is this my Christmas present?" She smiled at him.

"A belated one," he said as he moved to her other foot. "Are you upset because I didn't get you anything?"

"No. Not really. Anyway, what do I need?"

"Evidently a back rub. . ." He kissed her foot. "And a foot rub. . ." He kissed her calf. "And a leg rub."

"Then this is a wonderful gift." She watched as he continued his massage on her calves.

"But you wouldn't object to another gift. Right?" He glanced up at her as her eyes danced on him in the twinkling lights from the tree.

"I–I guess not. Why? Do you have one for me?" She chuckled, thinking he was referring to sex under the Christmas tree.

He wriggled his eyebrows at her suggestively, then smiled almost shyly as he looked back at her leg he was rubbing.

"Yeah. I have one for you. I actually had it before Christmas, but then my parents came and we never got to actually have a peaceful moment alone. So I saved it for tonight."

"So. . ." She looked at him with the laughter gone from her eyes. "This is something you need to give me alone?"

"I would prefer it that way." He finally let her leg down on the floor and pulled the box from his pocket, keeping it concealed until he was lying next to her.

She adjusted the pillows, making room for them to face one another. When he was looking into her eyes, she raised her hand and stroked his cheek.

"I love you, Greg," she said very quietly.

"I know," he said just as quietly. He handed her the box and watched as she opened it, tears springing to her eyes as she looked at the diamond surrounded by smaller emeralds in a white gold band. She closed her eyes and allowed the tears to spill over her lids. "Well? Will you?"

He took the ring from its box and slipped it on her finger but the tears continued to fall as she pressed her forehead to his. "Yes. I will."

He chuckled as he pulled her closer and hugged her. "There's no reason to cry. When I saw the tears, I was afraid for a minute."

"Only for a minute?" She asked as she turned her face up to his again.

He looked into those green eyes that he had always adored and got serious again. "No. Not only for a minute. I've been afraid for a long time–a helluva long time. I'm not afraid anymore."

"I'm glad.." She reached up and met his lips gently just as the clock struck midnight. She smiled as they kissed, and said, "Happy New Year's, baby."

"You talking to me or our little bundle of joy down here?" He asked while still kissing her as he placed his hand on her abdomen. Practically on cue, the baby seemed to do a somersault against his hand. He pulled back from her kiss and looked down at her stomach. "Jeez!"

"What about that back rub you mentioned?"

They moved up to their bed about a half an hour later. Cameron crawled beneath the comforter and watched as House took everything off except his boxers then crawled in next to her. As was their custom since she started getting bigger, they went into their usual position of him facing her back with one arm outstretched beneath the pillow, which she rested on, and his other arm around her, either lying so that he was holding her breast, or stretched lower as his hand would rest on her abdomen. And as was the case nearly half of the time, he no sooner snuggled up behind her, than she wiggled herself back against him, rubbing her butt against his groin.

He leaned over and kissed her behind her left ear and reached down until his hand as on her hip, pulling her back against him tighter as he began rocking against her. When he heard her breathing growing deeper and faster, just from rubbing against her bottom, he pushed at her panties until she helped and pushed them over her hips and down her legs, then kicked them onto the floor. She moved back against him again, continuing to rub up against his hardening length, her hand reaching behind her and pushing at the waistband of his boxers. When she couldn't get them down right away she almost yelped in frustration.

"Shhh. Allie, don't get upset. I'll get them off."

He pushed them down so far and pulled his erection out but he no sooner had it exposed than she pressed her backside against it, moaning with need. She spread her legs just far enough for his member to slide between them and against her already hardened nub. After a few strokes, she almost growled as she swiftly turned toward him, grabbed his neck and pulled him down to meet her already opened mouth. She took his tongue inside, sucked it, licked it and retaliated by pressing her own tongue into his mouth. Her hands seemed to be all over him, rubbing his back, his chest, down over his ass and when she lifted her right leg over him, moving closer for him to enter her, she growled again when she found that they no longer fit in this way. She rolled onto her back and tugged at his head until he was moving lower, kissing her chest and laving her breasts. Her nipples were like ripe raspberries, as he bit and suckled them. Their sweetness was exquisite. She grabbed his hand and lowered it to her throbbing mound, letting him know she was burning for him. He stroked his finger over her clit, and she immediately rolled her hips against him.

"Greg," she sighed. "Fuck me, now."

She gazed up at him and he looked back, trying to decide what to do. Finally, after a few moments of indecision, he pushed himself up on his knees.

"Up on your knees." She did as he said. "Now, turn around and bend over."

Again, she did as instructed, spreading her legs so he could come up behind her. He held onto her hip with one hand as he reached beneath her and began stroking her clit again. It didn't take long for her breathing to speed up, indicating she was ready and wanting more than he was giving at the moment. He grabbed his staff and pressed up against her core, entering her slowly, allowing only its head to enter before pulling out again. He continued doing this for several strokes, but her impatience won out as she slammed back against him and he entered her completely. He held onto her hips with both hands now, stroking in her with carefree abandon. They both needed release, knowing that they had the rest of the early morning and all day to take it nice and slow. He was getting closer and closer as he moved within her. He reached down and began rubbing her clit, circling it, stroking it until she moaned deeply.

"Greg, more, more, more. . ."

He felt her velvet core go into spasms around him, squeezing him, milking him and he felt the explosion flow through him. He was panting as he called her name, dropping to the bed on top of her, yet holding himself up by his arms as to not harm her. Slowly they both turned onto their right sides, still embedded within her, and they swiftly fell asleep. His last thoughts were, "If she's this much of a hellcat just from getting engaged–what is she going to be like when we get married?" And he smiled in his sleep.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Allison Cameron sat inside the Diagnostics Department's conference room on this fine crisp morning in February. All was well in her world as she drank her single cup of coffee for the day and looked out the windows at the drabness of a bitter winter. She absently rubbed her back, the pain getting more severe today than it had been these past four weeks, but she supposed that could be expected as she grew larger. She had a touch of a smile as she thought about the events of the morning before coming in. Everyone got up late, the cold weather making all three of them bury themselves deeper beneath the blankets. Finally the telephone dragged her out of bed, and in turn got House awake as it was a call from his landlord's secretary informing him that there was a problem with the pipes in his apartment. They were frozen and a plumber needed to come. Could he please come over that morning at nine o'clock and let him in.

"The last thing he wanted was the pipes to burst," he told her as he hurried to get dressed, "not if he planned on getting out of his lease early." She watched as he pulled on clothes rapidly as her door burst open and Tony rushed in pulling his shirt down over his head then plopped onto her bed where he pulled on his sneakers.

"Dad, where are you going?" He asked as he put on his last sneaker.

"My apartment–why?" House was buttoning his oxford then grabbed his own sneakers.

"I missed the bus. Can you drop me off at the school?"

"Let's go."

Cameron stood there in her nightshirt, watching them bustle around her then they were gone in a flash. She, on the other hand, took a little more time getting ready. Not that she had a choice, she thought, as she glanced down at her thirty-six week pregnant abdomen. As a matter of fact, she was moving a bit slower at everything these days. She couldn't imagine her abdomen getting any larger. Even her activities for House seemed to be dwindling. Oh, not that she didn't find him incredibly sexy and feel her heart skip a beat whenever he looked at her just so. No her desire was still there. It was just proving more and more awkward to find a position that worked for them. So they found other ways to please one another, just not quite as often.

She was still gazing out the window when she heard the conference room door open behind her. She turned and smiled her greeting to Chase as he entered and looked at her then glanced into House's office.

"Where's House?"

"He didn't come in yet," she told him.

"I need some labs that were emailed to him last night before he left. Can you get into his computer for me? I need to run those tests this morning."

"Sure." She started for House's office and went to his computer, entering his passwords that she had access to. She scanned the screen for the appropriate email, but came across nothing. "I'm not seeing it here, Chase. Are you sure they sent it to him?"

"I'm positive. I was there when she sent it."

"Then why didn't you get the results while you were there?" She glanced back at him.

"Because I "thought" I could get them just as easily from House," he said smugly. "I didn't know he was going to be this late coming in." He moved closer to her and looked at the screen impatiently. "Look, I really need those results. Maybe he deleted them by accident last night. Look in his deleted files."

Cameron clicked on his "deleted messages" file and scrolled down quickly to the bottom, then allowed her eyes to travel upward. What she saw turned her blood cold. There must have been thirty messages from _swarner. . . _She didn't look at the rest of the email address, the beginning was enough. She pulled the seat out and lowered herself into it, never moving her gaze from the screen.

"Cameron! Is it there?" He asked impatiently. "I don't have time to be here looking for it, if it isn't in there. I'll just call down to the lab and have them send it to me."

"Yes," she said absently. "Go ahead. It's not here."

Cameron barely noticed Chase as he used the telephone then told her he was going down to get the tests done he wanted. Her mind was whirling as she read the most recent message.

_Greg,_

_I'll be waiting for you at our place at 8:00. I'll have my secretary call if I'm going to be late._

_Love,_

_Stacey_

She clicked on the one previous to that.

_Greg,_

_You were wonderful last night. I told Mark I worked late. I'm so glad you got Dr. Foreman to cover your patient for you again._

_Love, _

_Stacey_

And another one before that.

_Greg,_

_When I think about how we made love last night, I begin to quiver. I'm so glad you kept your apartment. I miss you already._

_Love, _

_Stacey _

She scanned all the way up to the earliest she could find.

_Greg,_

_I miss you so much. I know now that I made a mistake leaving you. Mark can never be the man you are. Please, Greg. Please just let me see you and talk. I love you so much._

_Stacey_

And the next after that.

_Greg,_

_I came to see you today as we had planned but I ran into Dr. Cameron. I was still prepared to forgive you for your indiscretions with her, I really was–I still am. I still want to meet you. I'll wait for your response. I'll love you always,_

_Stacey_

Cameron immediately scanned to his 'emails sent' file and felt her heart sink as she saw just as many emails sent back to her.

Starting at the earliest she read,

_Stacey,_

_I need to see you also. Things have never been the same since you left. Please forgive me for sending you away. Come to see me. We need to talk._

_G._

And the next,

_Stacey,_

_I'm sorry you had to see Cameron like that. I should have told you sooner the predicament I'm in. Come to my apartment this evening. I'm supposed to be staying with our patient. I'll get Foreman to cover for me. I need to see you. I need 'you.'_

_L,_

_G._

Tears were starting to spill from Cameron's eyes as she scanned down to the most recently sent email and opened it.

_Stacey,_

_God, I'm so hungry for you again, already. Come to my place tomorrow morning._

_Last week was extraordinary. I need to feel your legs wrapped around me again as I slip inside you. You are exquisite, my beauty._

_I love you and can't wait to hold you again,_

_G_.

Cameron was numb as the tears streamed down her cheeks. She had to know. She had to see for herself. She didn't remember putting on her coat. She didn't remember grabbing her bag. She vaguely remembered passing Wilson in the hallway and hearing him call after her, but she kept walking, closing the elevator doors before he could reach her.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

House entered his apartment and noticed the heat was turned down, but nothing significant enough to warrant the freezing of his pipes. He went to the kitchen and then the bathroom, noting that everything seemed to be in working order, but still, he waited. Finally by nine-thirty, he got to his feet and decided to head into the hospital, thinking they must have gotten the times confused. He was just about to pick up his jacket when the door opened and Stacey walked in. He couldn't have been more surprised if Santa Claus had walked through his front door. He stood motionless as she slowly approached him with her hands shoved in her coat pockets and an all-knowing expression on her face as she stared at him.

"Well, aren't you going to say 'hello,' Greg?" She stopped when she was only about a foot from him.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was driving by and saw your car. I decided we were due for a visit."

"A visit," he said then dropped his jacket on the sofa. "What kind of a visit are you looking for?"

"What do you mean, what kind of a visit?" She removed her coat and dropped it next to his. "I just wanted to see you."

"Okay. You see me. Now what?"

"Can't we even sit down?" She reached out and tugged on his shirt sleeve, bringing his gaze down to her hand. "Or. . ."

"Or what, Stacey? What's the matter, Mark having trouble in the bedroom again?"

"Mark never equaled you in the bedroom, Greg," she almost purred as she moved closer to him. "I told you that before."

"Not having a good time of it, huh?" He watched her closely. "What would it take to make you happy, Stacey?"

"You, Greg. Only you," she breathed as she put her arms around his neck and placed her lips on his.

House let her kiss him and then he kissed her back. He wanted to know that she was no longer in his system. He had to know. And he felt nothing close to the exhilaration that went through him when he held his lips to Cameron's. He had his answer–finally. He put his hands on her waist, preparing to stop her, but a gasp from the doorway alerted him. He opened his eyes and looked at the person watching them and felt his heart drop to the floor.

"Allie! No!" He grabbed his cane and started past Stacey but she grabbed his shirt again.

"No! Greg! Let her go."

Her voice fell on deaf ears as he pulled away from her and continued out the door. But even with her enlarged body, Cameron's speed was greater than House expected. He had only gotten as far as the parking area by the time Cameron sped past him and onto the street. He sighed deeply, then turned and went back inside his apartment.

"What the hell did you call that?" He shouted at Stacey.

"Call what?" She asked smugly. "We kissed."

"Yeah–we kissed. And it was really perfect timing wasn't it? It couldn't have been any better than if you had tried."

"I don't know what you're talking about." She walked up to him again, this time looking straight into his eyes. "I came today hoping we could settle things and perhaps start again."

"You came today?" He studied her closely again. "I thought you said you were just driving by and saw my car."

"Well, we both know the improbability of that." She snapped. "I knew you were here and I stopped in."

"So who did you have call Cameron's house this morning, masquerading as my landlord's secretary?"

"It was 'my' secretary. I told her what to say to get you here." She placed her hands on his chest as she moved closer. "And you came. That's all that matters. Now you know. Now we can clear the board and start over."

"Tell me something, Stacey. Where's Mark?"

"What does it matter where Mark is? I'm going to leave him."

"And in the meantime, you and I. . .what? Have an affair? Or am I just supposed to wait for you until you break the news to hubby back home?"

Her eyes brightened as she said excitedly, "We can be together now, Greg! Right now!"

"Did you 'see' the person that just ran out of here?" He asked in amazement.

"Yesss," she hissed at him. "I saw her. I also saw how rotund she has become! Please, Greg. You deserve so much better than that." She took his hand in hers and purred into his ear. "Come on. We can be wonderful together."

Her other hand moved to his crotch, rubbing him in a way that she knew used to arouse him instantly. He took her hand with his free hand and started walking her backwards. She smiled her understanding and giggled in her excitement as he was steering her toward his bedroom. As soon as they were inside the room he pushed her onto the bed. She moaned with expectancy as she watched him from where she landed, but her eyes grew large as he grabbed the doorknob and exited the room, slamming the door behind him. She heard the click of a lock and noticed the door had an old fashioned knob which locked and unlocked only with the use of a key.

House went back to the living room and picked up her coat, looking for anything with ID in it, and finding her wallet as he listened to her ranting at him from his locked bedroom. Her telephone number was inside, as well as the number of her emergency contact person. He went to the telephone and dialed Mark's number and told him where he could find his wife, explaining that the key to the bedroom would be on his kitchen table. He was free to come in and get her. After that House got to his car and went back to the hospital. He was hoping he could talk some sense into Cameron before it was too late.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

"Mom? What's going on?" Tony asked Cameron with concern as they walked from the school to her car, but when they got to the vehicle, Cameron stopped and put her hands on her back. "And what's wrong with your back? I saw you grabbing at it back in the office, too. Did you fall?"

"No, I didn't fall." She opened the door and moved behind the steering wheel. "Get in the car, Tony. You know my back's been bothering me the past few weeks."

"Okay." He got in the passenger's side. "Now, what's going on?"

"We have to go home. There's been an emergency."

"With Dad? Is he alright?"

Cameron started the car and started in the opposite direction than the hospital and their home. "No, not that home. Back in Illinois."

Tony looked more closely at her face, noting the redness of her eyes and nose. She had been crying. "Is it Gram or Pap?"

"No, they're fine." She tried to smile.

"Then what?" He asked impatiently.

"Not now, Tony. Okay?" She reached over and patted his hand, a new surge of tears threatening to spill. "Everyone's okay. It's a different kind of emergency, that's all."

They rode pretty much in silence from that point on. Cameron reaching behind her and trying to ease the pain in her back and Tony repeatedly looking over at her with great attention to her state of mind. They stopped once they got across the state line into Pennsylvania and filled the gas tank, then got started again. They had barely gone half-way across the state when Cameron pulled off at a rest stop, needing to use the facilities. She knew there was no way she was going to be able to hold her pee until the next stop for gas. Tony was waiting for her at the vending machine, holding two cups of hot chocolate but she no sooner exited the lady's room than she reached for her back again, this time almost yelping with pain. Suddenly there was a gush of fluid at her feet and when she looked down she saw that her slacks were soaked.

"Mom?" Tony asked with fright as he stared at her. He dropped the cups of steaming chocolate and ran over to her just as another pain ripped through her back, making her grab onto him for support. "Mom–are you having the baby?"

"Yesss." She hissed as the pain continued, now tightening around her abdomen as well. "Get me to the car."

"You can't drive like this!" He looked at her as if she were crazy. "I'm calling Dad!"

"NO!!" She shrieked, turning him back to her with huge eyes. "You are "never" to call that bastard! Now get me to the car!"

"Okay–okay," he said quickly as he put his arms around her and walked with her until they were outside. But when he started to walk toward the driver's side of the car, she stopped him.

"No–you're driving."

"What?" He practically yelled at her for he was beginning to think she had lost her mind. He remembered the last time he had driven anything and the outcome wasn't pretty.

"You drove Uncle Jack's tractors on his farm–you can handle an automatic car on a straight interstate. Ooooooooooh!" Another contraction grabbed her and nearly knocked her off her feet. She began her breathing and motioned for him to hurry and get her to the car. "We only have about twenty miles to the next hospital. I trust you, Tony."

He sat her in the passenger's seat and closed the door. "I'm glad "you" have trust in me," he said to himself. "God help us all!"

"Please hurry, Tony. I don't think this baby is going to wait much longer," she told him as he sat behind the steering wheel.

"Mom. I should really be calling Dad. Please let me call him."

"So help me, Tony, if you even think of doing that I'll get out of this car and walk myself to the hospital!"

"I'm not moving until you tell me why I can't call Dad."

"Because he's been having a damn affair with his ex-girlfriend! That's why!" She yelled at him.

"Who–that Stacey witch? Right, like I'm gonna believe that. She's okay if you're like . . .seventy or something, but not Dad's age. Is this like the time you thought Dad was having an orgy with Wilson and Lisa?" He asked as he looked at her but cringed when she turned to look at him with fire flaring from her eyes.

"Ooooooh! If you don't move this car right now–I'll have this baby on the interstate. Then you can deliver it. How would you like that?"

"Alright. Alright."

He started the car and backed it out of the parking space, then moved down the lane, merging with the oncoming traffic. Luckily, he did have some experience driving tractors so the transition to a smaller vehicle wasn't so bad and within minutes he was driving at an adequate speed for the highway. He still was unsure about his mother's explanation but by the time they were pulling up to the hospital's emergency department, he had been filled in on all that she had read and seen. He figured that normally she would have kept this information hidden from him, but being in labor, her anguish and sense of betrayal had turned into raging anger, an emotion he was starting to share with her.

"Mom, we're here," he told her as she was in the middle of a contraction, panting with her eyes clenched shut.

"God! I forgot how painful this actually is," she breathed, then looked at her surroundings. "We better get inside."

Tony grabbed a wheelchair from inside the door and helped his mother into it then pushed her inside. Cameron had already taken all her insurance cards from her wallet and gave them to Tony. After a quick exam in triage, they moved her up to Labor and Delivery and instructed Tony to move his car to the parking lot then return for his mother's insurance information. Once he was finished, he was escorted to the delivery room and told to put on scrubs. He looked doubtfully at the nurse–he hadn't ever in his wildest dreams imagined being in the labor room with his mother. It just didn't seem right. But when he heard Cameron's howl of pain, he went to her side and held her hand.

"It looks like you got here in the nick of time," the doctor said from his position between Cameron's thighs and with a growl and a grunt Tony was looking at the most obnoxious creature he had ever seen in his life! It had white cream and blood smeared all over it's wrinkly blue body. He thought they must have made a mistake and gotten some kind of organ out of his mother instead of a baby.

"That's disgusting!"

"That–my friend," said the doctor as he lay the now-screaming baby on Cameron's stomach. "Is your new baby sister. Would you like to cut the cord?"

"Really? Sure. Okay,"

Suddenly the monstrous form on his mother's stomach didn't look quite so bad to him and for some reason, as they handed him the scissors and he cut through the tough hose-like structure, he felt a connection with creature. When they lifted it and took it away to be cleaned he looked back at his mother, but she remained still, lying with her eyes closed.

"Mom–I've got a sister," he said proudly as he looked down at her but she merely looked back at him and tried to smile. He knew her heart wasn't into it and he again became angry with his father. "It's okay, Mom. I'll take care of us."

"Apgars of 9 at 1 minute," he heard the nurse saying to another who was writing the information down. "Weight five pounds, thirteen ounces. Length is 19 inches."

Finally after about five minutes, they brought the baby over and he was amazed at how tiny it seemed.

"Mrs. Cameron, would you like to hold your daughter?"

Cameron didn't answer, she simply held her hands out for the baby and drew her into her arms. The tears started falling from her eyes as soon as she looked at the dark blue eyes that were trying to peek out at her.

"Look at her, Tony. She's beautiful," she cried and laughed at the same time.

Tony left the delivery room and called his grandparents, telling them what had happened, but leaving out the information regarding his father. When they found out their daughter and grandchildren were more or less stranded nearly six hundred miles from them, they told him to stay put, that they would be there to pick them up the next day and they would fly back home while his grandfather drove her car.

Other than that, Tony stayed in his mother's room with her and the new baby throughout that evening and night. Cameron was exhausted, both emotionally and physically, so he saw to it that her sleep went undisturbed. When the baby started to fuss he would pick her up and feed her from the bottle the nurses had left there or he would check to see if she was wet. By the next morning he felt like a pro at this baby business and when the nurse came in to collect the information for the birth certificate, he was holding his sister as she slept in his arms.

He looked at his mother when the nurse was asking questions, but she began crying as she looked out the window. He had heard of postpartum depression and he had a pretty good idea that this was setting in–double that with having the baby four weeks early and going through what she did the day before, he felt he was lucky she wasn't screaming and tearing her hair out.

"Mrs. Cameron, what is the father's name?"

Cameron glanced helplessly at Tony.

"Gregory House," Tony told the nurse and at the mention of his name Cameron turned toward the window again.

"Have you chosen a name for her?"

When they were met with silence Tony stood up and moved to stand between her and the window. "Mom, you gotta give her a name."

"I haven't decided on one. I thought we'd discuss it this month, but we never seemed to have the time." She looked at the baby and put her finger in the child's hand, allowing her to wrap her tiny digits around it. "Look at her. Already she's a step behind."

He knew she was referring to the lack of his father's presence and he became all the more dedicated to seeing that this little girl never felt neglected.

"No she's not," he said, trying to cheer his mother up a little. "At least she's got her mother's and father's name on her birth certificate. Look at me–Wilson had me listed as Bobby Darin's and Sandra Dee's son, Moondoggie! Now look at her, Mom. Already she's got beauty on her side. She sure is beautiful."

"Yes, she is beautiful," Cameron agreed with a weak smile.

Tony thought about what he just said and looked back at his mother with an idea. "Mom. Ya know, I looked this Sandra Dee up on the internet to see who she was–and she was really pretty. I mean it–she was one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen. Why don't we name her Sandra?"

Cameron looked at him and thought about it, then turned to the nurse.

"Her name is Sandra Dee House."


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

House had been sitting at his desk for over two hours now. He was still waiting for a call from Cameron's parents. When he realized Cameron had picked Tony up at school and they weren't returning home that first night he thought of all possible places she could have gone. His first thought was Wilson and Cuddy, but when he went to them, he only succeeded in getting them upset. When they had asked why Wilson had seen her looking so upset and why she would have left, House explained as much as he was capable of–as much as he could figure out for himself, and Lisa became enraged.

"What were you doing there with her?" She yelled at him.

"Nothing. I thought I was sent there for frozen pipes. I didn't know she was the one who set it up. How would I know that? This is so out of. . ."

"If you say out of character for Stacey, I'm going to scream!" Lisa poked him in the chest with her finger. "Why are men so damned blind? Why can't you see this "is" Stacey's character? So what did you do that sent Cameron over the edge? It had to be something or she would have fought the bitch for you!"

"I was kissing Stacey," House mumbled.

"YOU WERE WHAT?" Lisa lost all sense of reasoning and punched him in the arm. "What in the name of God did you do that for?"

"Oh, House. Tell me you weren't ," Wilson sighed.

"I wanted to make sure there wasn't anything there–anything that would jump up and bite me in the ass when I least expected it."

"And what did you find out from your little experiment?" Lisa asked, still very angry.

"That I don't have anything left for Stacey. It's gone," he said as he looked at her but winced when he received another punch to his arm.

"No, stupid! You found out that you don't kiss other women when the woman you're engaged to is over eight months pregnant and the best thing you'll ever have in this lifetime." She was about to hit him a third time but Wilson put his arm around her and walked with her toward the sofa, seeing that she sat down and didn't beat House to a pulp.

"Come on, Honey. We'll find her," Wilson told her.

"No! I don't even think I want to help him find her!" She told Wilson then looked back over at House. "Could you think of any way to hurt her more? House, you're such a damn ass."

With that, Cuddy burst into tears and Wilson sat next to her and allowed her to cry on his shoulder.

"Lisa, don't get yourself so upset. You know she's probably fine."

"I know," she sobbed against her husband's neck. "But he's so "stupid!" How can anyone be that "stupid?"

That was two days ago, and still he had heard nothing. Every time he called her parents' house he was met with a happy, "Hi, you've reached Bill and Karen Cameron. Please leave a message!" He must have left twenty messages in the past two days. Still no sign or sound of his son and Cameron. He gave up on her cell phone when he found it sitting on the counter in the kitchen, evidently either forgotten the morning she left, or brought back to the house and left intentionally so he could not get hold of her.

He sat at his desk, spinning his large tennis ball in his hand as he stared at Chase in the other room. Finally, he had had enough and went into the conference room and leaned over the table with his hands on its top.

"You know where she is, don't you?" House's voice rumbled throughout the room.

Chase looked up at him with a blank look on his face. "I take it we're talking about Cameron."

"You know exactly who I'm talking about."

"No. I don't know where she is. The last time I saw her was the morning she disappeared. She was in here, making coffee." Chase got to his feet and picked up his bag then turned to leave. "But I must say–she never went into hiding while she was with me."

House walked into his home–or at least what he had come to think of as his home these past few months. He dropped his bag and jacket inside the door and went to the telephone, hoping to find a blinking light to indicate any messages, but there were none. He moved to the kitchen and grabbed a beer then headed upstairs as was his newly acquired nightly ritual. He first went into Tony's room, stood near the doorway and just looked around. He could hear the boy's voice calling him an "old goat," and smiled at the memory. He was "his" boy. There was no question about that anymore. He had such a strong attachment to the kid he used to refer to as "devil's spawn," that he felt an emptiness inside that was just as significant as the emptiness of the room.

Next, he would walk down the hall to the nursery. It had been completed just days before the incident. He looked at the crib his father and Tony had assembled, the dressing table and dresser that his mother picked out and bought for them. He touched the fluffy lambs that hung from the mobile that Nurse Brenda had given them for a gift.

Then he would go to bed. Cameron's bed. He would lie on his designated side of the mattress and try to fall asleep. Last night, when he had a little too much to drink he actually glanced over at the rocking chair in the corner of the room and saw her sitting there, rocking as she held her enlarged abdomen, and smiled at him. But he saw nothing tonight; just an empty rocker.

He stripped down to his t-shirt and underwear and crawled under the covers. He lay on his back and stared at the ceiling. He could imagine her breathless voice as she told him that she loved him. And then he remembered her stricken face when she stood in his apartment's doorway and watched him with his arms around Stacey, then turned and ran away from him.

His heart seemed to be ripped out of his chest every time he remembered her sobs as she ran away. He rolled over and pulled her pillow against him, holding it as a poor substitute for the woman he yearned for. He could smell her fragrance. He closed his eyes and hugged the pillow closer. He knew he couldn't go on like this. He decided he was going to Illinois. He was going to find what he so carelessly allowed to slip away.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

The tires of House's rental car crunched over the snow-covered lane that lead to Bill and Karen Cameron's house, nearly a quarter of a mile off the two-lane macadam road. He was glad no one was coming in the opposite direction because it was merely a single lane plowed between two fields with at least a foot of snow on each side, more where the wind was blowing it into drifts. It was a rural area, the nearest neighbor being about half a mile away. As he looked at the house, what he would have originally taken as a farmhouse, was dismissed as there were no barns or other farm-like structures. There was only a garage and a tree-house in the side lawn (more than likely something from his son's youth). House cringed at the knowledge that this couple had known his son more intimately that he had for nearly all of his life–he was determined not to let that happen again with his next child.

The smoke from the chimney alerted him that there was definitely someone home. He parked the car next to a pickup truck in front of the garage doors, then went up onto the front porch. He knocked and waited for a moment then knocked again. Finally the door opened to reveal a woman of about fifty-five years looking at him as if she could decapitate him.

"Mrs. Cameron?" She nodded her head yes. "My name is. . ."

"I know who you are. I've seen pictures of you with Tony and Ally." She shivered against the cold and pulled her jacket closed tighter. "What can I do for you?"

"I've been calling your home for days. You didn't answer."

"I wasn't home. I just got back today."

"Have you talked to Cam. . .I mean Allison lately?"

"Yes, I have."

"Do you know where she is?"

"Yes. I do."

"Can you tell me where?" He was getting irritated with her.

"No, Dr. House. I can not tell you where."

"You can't? Or you won't?"

"Alright. I "will" not tell you where they are." She moved to go back inside but he grabbed the door.

"You know, I can pull the law into this, don't you? He is my son. . ."

"Of which I still have custody. You neglected to proceed with that formality." She tried to pull the door closed, but he stood in her way. "Now, if you don't mind, Dr. House, you're letting all the heat out of my home!"

He pushed her inside and closed both doors behind him. "Where's your husband?"

"Why? You plan on trying to make out with me? I hear you've got a thing for older women."

"So, you "have" talked to her. No Mrs. Cameron, I don't think I would try to make out with my mother-in-law."

"I'm not your mother-in-law yet, buster–and if I have any say in it, I never will be! I haven't thought much of your tactics since you got my little girl pregnant fifteen years ago–the only redeeming factors you have are that you made two beautiful, good-natured children!"

House looked at her oddly. "What do you mean, two? How would you know what this baby looks like?"

Karen Cameron flushed and he could see the resemblance between mother and daughter. "I–I just meant that she would naturally be beautiful. . ."

"She?" House looked around at the rooms on either side of the foyer and staircase. He saw a package of newborn disposable diapers sitting on a side table. He looked back at Karen. "I have a daughter? Is she alright? She wasn't due for another month."

Karen looked up at the concern covering his features and sighed deeply. "Your daughter is wonderful. Ally, in case you're interested, is doing fine–depressed, but fine."

He moved into the living room, looking around for signs of his family, but only saw the diapers. "Where is she?"

"I'm not allowed to tell you. But I can tell you that they're not here, and they aren't expected to come back anytime soon."

"Then why the diapers?" He nodded toward the objects.

"They forgot them. It's as simple as that."

"I want to know where they are! I didn't fly all the way out here just to be shown a pack of diapers!"

"You should have called. . ."

"I did call–for three days and you wouldn't answer your damn phone!"

"We were in Pennsylvania gathering our daughter, grandson and granddaughter because that's where they were stuck when Ally went into labor while running away from her philandering fiance! Now, Dr. House, I will ask you one more time to remove yourself from my home or I'll be forced to call the police."

"You call whomever you like, lady. I came for my family." He walked around her and looked in the room on the opposite side of the hallway, then started for the kitchen and den in the back of the house, but stopped suddenly when he heard a cry coming from upstairs.

Karen simply sighed and closed her eyes in defeat as House hurried up the steps. He threw each door open as he went down the hallway, finding what must have been Mr. and Mrs. Cameron's room first, then Tony's, and finally Cameron's. He stood in the doorway, looking very formidable in his navy pea coat as he leaned heavily on his cane. But she was having nothing of it as she lay their baby in its bassinet and stormed back to face him. He knew she was going to be angry, but he didn't expect her fist to land in his face. He turned from her blow, but before he could look back at her, she swung her other fist and caught him again. He watched her as she looked back at him, anguish and loathing in her green eyes.

"Get out of this house!" She ground between her teeth. "I suggest you return to your little love nest with that old whore and forget we ever existed!"

"I understand you're angry. . .," he started.

"No, House. I'm not angry. Anger is easy to get over. This is something more than "anger." You don't deserve us, do you know that?"

"Yes. I know it."

"Then leave! Go back to her because I don't want you anymore."

"So, that's it? You won't even let me look at our daughter."

Cameron stared at him, her jaws clenching. "You may look at her."

She stood to the side and allowed him to pass her and go to the bassinet. House looked down at the baby and saw the bluest eyes he had ever seen on a person. Everything seemed to be perfect as he looked at her, perfect eyes, perfect nose, perfect little lips. He took off his wool coat and leaned his cane against her bassinet then reached for her. She felt light as a feather as he pulled her up against his chest, cradling her against him. He watched as she started to fuss, but quieted the moment he started talking to her.

"Now, you're not going to start bawling the moment I get here, are you? You don't have to be as mean as your mother." She recognized his voice and turned toward the sound, trying to focus on the dark-haired face above her.

"House. . ." Cameron started, but he stopped her with a glance as he moved to sit in the rocking chair and proceeded to gently rock the child to sleep.

"Does she have a name? I know we didn't actually discuss names, but you must have come up with something."

"Tony named her. Her name is Sandra Dee House. He took it from the paternity test that was done on him."

"Well, I see they tacked your first problem on you. I can't say that I like the name–but it'll do. If I have to choose, then I'll call you Dee. You certainly are as pretty as the original was. But I guess that comes from your mom's side."

He looked up at Cameron who stood at the foot of her bed with tears starting to fall. It didn't take long for the child to fall asleep as her father stroked her cheeks with his long fingers. He rocked her a few minutes longer, kissing her head and hugging her to him. When he stood up and put her back in her bassinet he could see Cameron wiping her tears and now her nose with the back of her hand. He slowly walked toward her, but she backed away.

"Don't," she whimpered.

But he continued until she was backed all the way against the bed. She refused to look at him so he took her chin in his hand and turned her face upward. "Kiss me, Cam. Kiss me and tell me you want me to go."

The slap echoed throughout the room–then a second one. "Get out, House!"

"I will not get out! For God's sake–I only kissed her! Big fucking deal!"

"I'm not stupid! How many times had you met her there? How often were you telling me you were working late at the hospital and you went there instead? How often were you discussing me with her? Telling her you were sorry she had to see me in "that condition!" It's not just you anymore! It's me! You've ground every ounce off self-esteem I had into dust! I was proud to be pregnant with your child! Both times–even when I was abandoned as a teenager–because I knew I was carrying the child of a brilliant man! I was proud to be growing larger with your daughter inside of me this time! But you stole that away from me the moment you told your slut that she was too good to lay eyes on me! You made me ashamed of myself and my body! You stole my pride and left me with nothing but shame!"

With each remark she threw at him, she lost more and more of her strength until her legs finally just gave out and she sat on the edge of the bed.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" He grabbed her under the arms and pulled her back up to face him. "I only met her there the morning she had her secretary call and tell me something wrong with the plumbing. Please, for God's sake–for the sake of our kids–don't do this, Cameron. You're blowing everything out of proportion! It was just one kiss–one kiss and I knew I didn't want her anymore."

He moved his hands to either side of her face, holding her still as his forehead rested against hers. Then kissed her, pressing his tongue into her mouth and begged for a response. But there was none. Instead, she slowly pushed him away and walked to her door.

"How can I believe you when I saw it with my own eyes? You love her, Greg. Go and try to make a life with her. There's nothing for you here. I have nothing left to give you. You've destroyed it all."

He looked at her blank stare and finally believed her. Whatever she felt for him was no longer shining in her eyes. Those beautiful green eyes that he fell in love with fifteen years before were staring back at him with something even more frightening than hatred. They were staring at him with nothing but blankness. He grabbed his coat and moved out the door. He didn't know what the solution was, but he did know that they needed time. He went back to PPTH that night and sat looking at his computer, wishing somehow the solution would drop out of the sky and hit him on the head. He could think of nothing.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

As the weeks passed, House began to rely more heavily on his Vicodin and scotch. When he would finish work, he would go to the nearest television and spend the evening with his bottle and whatever he could find on the tube that would help to numb his mind. He refused to go to Cameron's house anymore as it aroused too many memories of his family. In the beginning he would go home and get smashed, but in his drunken state he would always see and hear Cameron and Tony. He even could hear his father arguing with Tony about the old man's inability to throw a football and he could envision his mother coddling the boy. He refused to go to his apartment as they only stirred up memories of the last time he saw Cameron there.

Wilson and Cuddy offered to let him stay with them, or even to have him over for a meal now and again, but he refused, preferring the seclusion of his office at night. His diet, what there was of it, consisted of take out from the local deli, Chinese or pizza parlor. During his sober times he would rack his brain, trying to figure out what could have started all of this to unfold. He knew there was a reason she came after him that morning. If she hadn't suspected something was going on already, she would never have come to check on frozen pipes at his apartment. Even Wilson said he saw her leave in a rush, and she already looked distraught.

House had tried calling Cameron several times, but she always refused his attempts. He managed to get through to Tony about three times in the last six weeks. The boy sounded torn between guarding his mother from further emotional harm, and having the family back that he had found the summer before. Other than that, his conversations were listless. He never mentioned what had happened, though he did discuss the birth of Dee to some extent, rather proudly explaining that he was the one who drove his mother to the hospital, and he was the one who cut the cord, and yes, he was the one who named the girl. Then he would usually say he had to go do homework or some chores around the house.

The first day of spring was bright and warm but Wilson was feeling a bit apprehensive. He never knew what he was going to find in his best friend's office these days. Sometimes he would come in and find House already at the white board, bleary eyed, but working as hard as ever, almost as if he were trying to lose himself in his patients' cases and not have to think about what he had lost. Other days, he would come in and find him passed out either on his sofa or on the floor where he had fallen the night before, almost always with a bottle of scotch lying next to him. This morning was no exception.

"House, come on. Wake up." Wilson kneeled next to him but when there was no response, he nudged his shoulder. "House, get up off the floor."

House's eyes blinked, then squinted through the morning sun light. "What?"

"Get up off the floor. Chase and Foreman will be in soon. Don't let them see you like this."

"They've seen me a lot worse." He slowly managed to maneuver himself until he was sitting on the floor, leaning back against the sofa. "What did you want? Other than seeing that I was awake so I could face the beautiful day I have ahead of me?"

"I'm just trying to get you off the floor, buddy. Do you need a hand?"

House merely looked at him and flipped himself over, leaning heavily on the sofa cushions until he got up onto his good leg, then limped to his desk where he sat down and picked up his cane. "There. All better. Satisfied?"

"Almost." Wilson picked up the scotch bottle and tossed it in the waste can.

"Hey! That wasn't empty!" House protested.

"It is as far as you're concerned. Here, drink this instead." Wilson put a large styrofoam cup of coffee down in front of him, then tossed a duffle bag of clothes on the sofa. "And here are some clothes I picked up for you. When was the last time you showered?"

"Why? Do you find me offensive?" House reached for the coffee and tried a sip, wincing at the strong taste.

"Yeah," Wilson said in a surprised tone, as if House should have known the answer. "It's a wonder your patients don't walk out of the room when you come in."

"I don't get close enough to my patients for them to sniff me."

"Don't bet on it." Wilson took a seat across from House's desk. "Look, you're going to sober up today because we've got something we need to do."

"And what exactly would that be? If it involves fresh air and sunshine–you can count me out."

"What if it involves figuring out what happened in this office the day Cameron left?"

"Tried it. Gave up." He took another sip of the bitterness as he kept his eyes on Wilson.

"Alright. I'll cut through the crap. I got a phone call last night from Tony. He said went into his mom's bedroom yesterday to grab some diapers to take downstairs when he found some folded papers lying on her bedside table. He said there was something about the way they looked all crinkled up and as if they had been flattened out again that caught his attention. Anyway, when he looked at them, it was a print-out of some emails from you that you sent to Stacey and some from Stacey that were sent to you." Wilson leaned forward in his chair. "The thing is, I remember her walking into the elevator with her bag and some papers in her other hand."

House put his coffee down and looked at him. "I never got any emails from Stacey. And I sure as hell never sent her any."

"He faxed them to me. And, House, they're real. They were sent and delivered." Wilson opened his brief case and placed them in front of House.

"So why did he call you? Why not me?"

"Probably because if you really did send them–he didn't want to deal with you."

House looked down at the faxed papers. He stared at them–read them and winced. No wonder she left him. He would have left too after this kind of betrayal. The only thing is–it wasn't true. But how in the hell did Stacey do it? He turned to his computer and brought up his email screen, checking through his messages and finding nothing. He went into his "sent messages" file and again there was nothing out of the ordinary. The "deleted files" were the same.

"They're not in here. See for yourself," he told Wilson.

Wilson came over and looked at the various screens, then back to his papers. "I don't know. Unless whoever did this deleted all the messages."

House was looking at the side of the screen, reading down the list of files, then noticed one titled March61993. This was a new file–at least he never noticed it before. He clicked onto it and watched as dozens of messages popped up on his screen. All the messages that were deleted from Stacey and all the messages that he had supposedly sent to her. He stared at it, amazed at their find.

"Ureka," House sighed as he leaned back in his chair. "Now all we have to do is figure out who did this."

"No, the first thing to do is change your password so whoever did this can't get in to delete this file." Wilson pointed at one of the messages. "Look–you weren't even here when this was sent out. December 26 at 3:15 PM. You were at home with me and Lisa, watching your dad and Tony putting the crib together. And here, this was when Lisa and I were getting married. You know, I bet if you start going through these dates and times, you'll find that you weren't here for all of them. And how easy would it be for someone to come in before you and Cameron arrived in the mornings and delete the messages that Stacey sent to you?"

"Is there any way we can get a print out of this?"

"I don't know–but I'm sure IT does."

Wilson walked into Cuddy's office wearing a broad smile and looked at her nearly seven-month pregnant body as she propped her slightly swollen ankles up on the coffee table. He came over and took her hand as she reached for him and looked at him with concern.

"Did you find out anything? Did he send them?"

"No, and whoever did, deleted almost all the evidence of their existence. Luckily, Cameron had the foresight to copy them over to another folder as she was waiting for the ones that she printed out."

"How do you know it was Cameron?"

"She named the folder March 6, 1993, which is Tony's birth date."

"So where's House right now?"

"He's taking a shower then catching the next flight to Illinois."


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

House was driving a different car, to the same place. This time when he drove up the lane he saw green bursting through the winter grays and browns. He parked the car but noticed there was no pickup truck this time, but Cameron's car she had driven from New Jersey to Pennsylvania was parked there. He could see small flowers that were planted around the front porch and as he was about to knock on the door he could see that although the screen door was closed, the inside door was standing open. He walked inside, seeing little had changed in the past month and a half other than more of the baby's things being downstairs. The dressing table was now standing in the room with all the paraphernalia that went with it. He glanced through the rest of the house, but found it empty. He noticed the door in the kitchen was standing open also, so he made his way out onto the back porch. He looked toward the tree house and noticed someone kneeling at the base of the tree it was built in. He would know that perfect bottom anywhere and his blood began to heat up. Cameron was planting flowers around the tree as their daughter lay bundled up in her carrier next to her. He made his way down the steps and over to her, letting his shadow fall across her.

"Hi, Dad. Mom and Tony went for groceries. They should be back soon," she said as she continued digging with her gloved hands.

"I know they always said I was old enough to be your father, but I certainly don't feel like your father right now."

She turned around immediately and looked up at him. "What are you doing here?"

He couldn't help but notice how her eyes traveled over him. He continued watching her as she took off her gloves and got to her feet, then picked up the baby carrier and started for the house.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asked.

"I'm going inside. And you're leaving."

"I'm not going anywhere until I've come to say what I have to say." He caught up with her as she was about to go into the kitchen, and he prevented her from locking him outside. He followed her as she hastily made her way upstairs and by the time he got mid-way up the steps, he heard her slam the door to her bedroom. He wasn't put off in the least as he made his way to where she was hiding. He tried the knob but found it was locked. 'Unlock the door, Cameron."

"I will not. Now go away before you wake Sandra."

"If Dee wakes up, it'll be because you wouldn't open the door."

"Go home, House. Nothing has changed. And if you must know," she added nervously. "I'm seeing someone else."

"Oh, you are," he said, skeptically.

"Yes. I am. It's a boy I went to high school with. He's one of Tony's teachers now, and. . ."

House rolled his eyes with exasperation then went for it as he charged the door. As his shoulder met it, it's frame splintered and allowed the door to swing open. He looked at her as she glanced at the baby that was now asleep on her tummy in the crib, then looked back at him with huge eyes.

"And just what are you "doing" while you see this "boy?" Don't tell me he sets your heart aflutter," he smirked as he closed the door behind him, pulling a chair over to prop against it as it's latch was now broken.

"He. . .he. . .we. . .we talk. . .and we. . ." She backed away from him as he prowled after her. Finally she could go no farther and he placed his hands on her face.

"You what? Do you kiss? Does he make you feel like this?" He leaned down and covered her mouth with his, sucking and biting her lips until she opened them to him and allowed him to press his tongue inside. He heard her moan as her tongue responded immediately and her hands closed over his arms. "Can he make you want to do the things I can make you do? Tell me you still want to do them, Allison."

Suddenly she stopped kissing him and her arms started swinging, slapping at him repeatedly as he held his arms in front of him. He grabbed her and she struggled to free herself, sliding down the wall in her attempt and bringing him down with her.

"No! No more! Get out! Why do you do this to me? Why can't you just be happy with Stacey and let me get on with my life?"

"I don't want Stacey! I don't want her!"

"You do! You do!" She cried as she covered her face, not bearing to look at him anymore. "I read it, over and over. Night after night, I've read the emails you sent to her, telling her you loved her, telling her I'd never be what she was. You treated me like a whore and all along she was your queen. You told her I was an embarrassment to you."

"It wasn't me," he cried in response as he kept pulling her hands away from her face. "It wasn't me."

But she went on as if she hadn't heard him. "I loved you for so long and you laughed at me with her. I was your joke."

He stood up with her, pulling her limp body with him as he moved to the bed and lay down with her. "You were never a joke, Ally. You were my strength."

"No." She continued. "You lied to me. Why should I ever trust you again?"

"Because it wasn't me."

He covered her mouth with his again, taking her with him as he climbed the heights of their yearning. He moved his leg between hers as he ran his tongue along her lips and teeth, pressing it inside her mouth and drawling her tongue into his. Suddenly she was kissing him back, fiercely kissing him as she held onto his face with both hands. He was moving his hands over her, wanting to touch her so badly it was nearly making him explode. He slid his hand up under her t-shirt, noting the enlarged state of her breasts as he squeezed them through her bra. He couldn't wait any longer. He had been waiting for nearly eight weeks and he was on fire for her. He yanked her shirt up over her breasts as he slid himself between her thighs, rocking his hips against her as he lifted her bra and exposed the rosy nipples he craved. He squeezed them and was sent crashing back to reality when he saw droplets of milk form on the peaks of each nipple. He knew she had to wait until she was examined by her doctor before she could resume sex. He had to find out so he didn't harm her.

"Are you allowed?" He asked but upon her blank look, he went on. "Did you see a doctor yet? Since you had the baby? Are you allowed?"

"Yes," she breathed as she rocked herself against him.

"Take your clothes off," he said hurridly.

He was off the bed in an instant, pulling his shirts off over his head and then working on his jeans. When he looked back at her she was sliding her own jeans off, but her shirt remained on.

"Don't look at me," she said quietly.

"What?" He asked with furrowed brows as he lay down beside her. "Take your shirt off."

"No. Not unless you don't look."

"Why?" He reached over and pulled it from her, then unhooked her bra and removed that but she tried to cover herself. "I want to look at you. I need to look at you. My God, you don't know how much I've missed you."

He bowed his head and started kissing her neck and throat, pushing her hands away from the front of her as she continued to try to hide herself.

"But you said I was getting so fat. You said I was disgusting," she whispered.

"It wasn't me!" He said as he moved between her legs and entered her more roughly than he should have.

She threw her head back and bit her lip against the pain that shot through her. He immediately realized how tight she had become since giving birth to their daughter, and how tender. He put his mouth on hers again as he started moving his hips, delving deeper and deeper with each thrust until she was no longer stiff with pain, but was actually beginning to correlate the movements of her hips with his. He dipped his head lower, moving down her neck, across her chest until he took her nipple in his mouth again. This time he didn't hesitate sucking, relishing the taste that warmed his tongue. It's sweetness made him moan deeply then move to its twin and receive the same. He felt her hands in his hair, cradling his head to her as she enjoyed this experience as much as he. He reached for her legs, pulling them up farther as he adjusted her for better access.

"Oh, my God, Greg!" She moaned as she let her fingers go down over his back, like a kitten sharpening her nails.

"Am I hurting you?" He asked as he lifted his head and looked down at her.

She simply looked back at him and let her tongue wet her lips as she watched him. He continued to look back at her as he thrust inside of her, feeling as if he were finally whole again. She ran her fingers down his sides as far as her reach would allow. They seemed to get lost in one another's gaze, each knowing that the other's eyes would be the last thing on this side of heaven that they would want to see.

"God help me, but I needed you," she said quietly as a tear slipped from the corner of her eye. He stopped his thrusts and moved his hand to cup her cheek, then met her lips with his own. She moved her hips against him, urging him to continue as a tear fell from her other eye. "No, don't stop."

He started moving inside of her again as he reached down between them and ran his finger over her hardened nub, circling it and stroking it until she arched her back and he could feel her velvet walls squeezing him and sending him reeling into his own climax.

"I'm sorry! God, Allison, I'm so sorry!" He cried as he spilled his seed inside of her.

They lay with him collapsed on top of her for nearly ten minutes before the baby started to fuss and he reached his hand inside the crib to pick up her pacifier and place it in her mouth.

"Let me up," Cameron said quietly and he rolled off of her. "Please, get dressed. My father will be home any minute. I don't think I want him to walk in on us while we're naked."

He moved off of the bed and pulled his pants up from where they had traveled down near his knees. He adjusted himself and closed his jeans, then pulled his t-shirt back on and replaced his oxford. When he looked back at her, she was completely dressed except for her shoes and socks. He walked toward her, hoping to take her in his arms again.

"You said you were sorry," she said blankly as she looked up at him.

"Yes, I did. I am sorry."

"Then you admit you did it," she said with a false smile as she walked past him, pulled the chair away from the door and opened it. "You can leave now. Please, don't come back."

"No, Mom." Tony's voice sounded behind her, turning both of his parents' attention to him. "I called James last night and again today. Dad is staying. He's got proof that he didn't send those emails and he didn't even see the ones sent from that woman."


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

"Tony!" House actually smiled at the sight of his oldest child.

"You have proof?" Cameron looked back at House, seeing the smile that he now sent her way. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well, we. . ." He motioned toward the bed.

"Eww," Tony moaned, then came in and picked up his sister, taking her out of the room and starting downstairs. "If this is all true, Sandy, and he can convince Mom, you're gonna have to put up with this kind of behavior for a long time!"

As they all moved down the stairs, House stopped at the bottom when he came face-to-face with Karen Cameron. She stood before him with her hands on her hips.

"You're very lucky, Dr. House, that your son is Anthony House," she told him with irritation. "Otherwise, you wouldn't be standing in my home right now."

He simply nodded his head then went to his son and took his daughter from him. "Go to the car and get the folders on the front seat. We're going to need a place to spread them out."

"In here," Cameron said and took him into the dining room where she turned on the overhead light and moved the centerpiece off the table.

Tony came back with a stack of folders and handed them to his father who used his one hand to spread them out on the table as he held his daughter with the other.

Cameron looked down at the faxed pages from Tony and looked at him accusingly. "Why did you send these to him? Don't you know how degrading this is?"

"Mom," Tony started with compassion-filled eyes.

"You should be glad that he "did" send them, Cameron," House said as he moved behind her and placed his free hand on her waist. The touch made her jerk away, quite clearly not believing he was innocent. "Up until this morning, I didn't even know these emails existed. When Wilson told me, I went into the deleted and sent folders immediately, but they were all deleted. That was when I found the folder you made."

"What folder?" Tony asked.

"Your mother copied all the messages to and from Stacey," House told him as he moved back to the lists of emails he found.

"What made you think to do that, Mom?"

"For exactly what it was needed for–in case he deleted them. I–I wanted proof. I needed to have extra copies–so I forwarded them into my email as well." She still avoided House's gaze.

Sandra began whimpering in her father's arms and before long was into a full-fledged cry, bringing her grandmother into the room with them. She went to House and reached for the child.

"No, I've got her," he assured her.

"Unless you're now an expert at changing diapers, Dr. House, I would suggest you let me take care of this while you continue trying to clear your name."

He watched as she left the room with the baby, then turned back to Cameron.

"Yeah, well, I can guarantee your messages were deleted too." He looked at her as he pointed to a specific message that was sent. "See this? Do you see when this message was sent to Stacey?"

Cameron picked up her reading glasses and looked down at the page to read the information he was indicating. "December 26 at 3:15 PM. So?"

"Do you know where I was when that was sent?"

She thought a moment and he could see the light turn on in her brain. "Yes. I do know. That was the day your parents were there. At around three o'clock you went upstairs with Tony, Wilson and your dad. You were putting the crib together."

"No–Grandfather and I were putting the crib together. Dad and James stood behind us the whole time drinking beer," Tony spoke up.

"And he was there the whole time?"

"Yeah. He'd hold things in place for us and hand us tools as we needed them. He was there with us for over a half an hour. Then we came down and watched football."

"Okay," House brought her gaze back to paper as he pointed to another date and time. "How about this one?"

Again, it took a moment, but she looked at him with understanding. "James' and Lisa's wedding. I was with you the whole time–and before–when we. . . Give me a pen." She moved into the chair in front of the papers and started going through them more closely, checking each date and time as she would recognize his whereabouts from memory. "This one was when we were having the ultrasound done of the baby. This one was when I took you along to look for wallpaper for the nursery. And this was Tony's last x-ray for his leg."

She kept putting checks at the messages that both she and Tony recognized and could confirm he was with them. By the time she finished, she had over half of them checked off. When she looked up at him questioningly he handed her a readout of his hours worked for the past six months.

"Cuddy got these for me." Next he handed her the same information on herself, Foreman and Chase. Then he gave her the personal appointment book that they kept at home, indicating most of their activities for the past nine months.

She painstakingly went through each paper until she was finally interrupted when her mother brought the baby back to her.

"Allison, you need to take Sandra now." Karen walked toward her daughter but House stepped out to take her back. "No, Dr. House. Sandra is hungry."

"Oh."

He watched as Cameron stood up and took their child in her arms, cooing at her and smiling with authentic love shining from her eyes toward the tiny child. She moved to another chair and picked up a receiving blanket, draped it over herself as she lifted her t-shirt and unhooked the strap to her bra, then settled the baby for her meal.

"Tony, finish those last few dates," she told her oldest child.

With a shrug of his shoulders, Tony went to the seat she had just emptied. House, on the other hand, moved to stand next to her and watched the child feed. He had the view that was blocked from his son and he found it mesmerizing.

"Most of these cleared out, Mom," Tony glanced over at his parents then sat back in his seat. "Dad didn't send these messages. Now what?"

"Now, we find out who did," House told his son, but kept his gaze on Cameron as she locked gazes with him.

"You didn't send them," she said very quietly.

"That's what I was trying to tell you upstairs. It wasn't me."


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

It took another hour of comparing time sheets before they finished but they were none the wiser.

"Foreman was there about half the time–and Chase was there only about half the time." Tony leaned back in his chair. "Foreman would have no reason to want to come between you two. But we know Chase has a thing for mom."

"I was hoping this would have been enough to nail him," said House as he held Sandra again and stood behind his son, looking over his shoulder.

"Even if he were there for every message–that wouldn't mean it was him. It would only mean he was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

House looked at her sharply but before he could say anything another man entered the room. He was taller than Cameron and Karen by several inches, but still shorter than House and Tony. He was a burly sort of man who reached a large hand out to grasp onto House's hand.

"Hello, I finally have the chance to meet the father of my grandchildren." He nodded his head toward Tony. "My name is Bill Cameron. I'm Allison's father."

"I'm Greg House."

"I'm sorry I wasn't here to greet you, but I was detained at my brother's farm. Otherwise I would have been here before you arrived instead of coming up the porch steps as you and my daughter decided that breaking down her bedroom door would be the right thing to do to warm up to your in-laws. Or at least your future-in-laws." Bill smiled at House's discomfort.

"She hasn't married him yet," Karen called into the room, then stuck her head in the doorway. "Dinner is finished. Since you've got your paperwork spread out in there, we'll be eating in the kitchen."

Tony wasted little time heading in the direction of his grandmother, followed closely by his grandfather. Cameron though took a little longer as she took the baby from House and put her in the carrier then started toward the kitchen.

"It would only mean he was in the wrong place at the wrong time?" House said to Cameron as he followed her. "What the hell does that mean? Why are you still sticking up for the little bastard?"

"We'll talk about it later," she said with a false smile as they entered the kitchen. Her father took the baby carrier and sat it on the table between where she was to be seated and himself.

"Did he send them?" Karen asked Cameron from where she stood at the stove. Her stance as well as her tone spoke volumes of distrust toward House.

"It seems there was no possible way he could," Cameron answered as she took her seat.

"Then you can sit there," she told House and nodded next to Cameron. "And I suspect you'll be staying the night."

"Are you going to tell me where to sleep, as well?" House asked with sarcasm.

"That, my friend, will be entirely up to my daughter." Karen took a seat at the opposite end from her husband, between House and Tony. "You're not off the hook yet, as far as I'm concerned."

The rest of the meal went peacefully enough. Bill and Tony discussed the planting being prepared for at his brother's farm. Karen would occasionally add to their conversation. But for the most part, Cameron and House ate quietly as House would send glances in her direction, still very disturbed at her ability to stand up for the person he was certain was behind the whole email fiasco.

After dinner Tony wanted to show his father some of the area where he grew up, and since Cameron was busy helping her mother clean up with the after-dinner mess, and then was going to bathe the baby, he felt it would be a good time to spend with his son. He couldn't even begin to tell the boy how much he had missed him. He didn't quite understand it himself, seeing as less than a year before, he thought of him as 'devil's spawn.' But he knew he loved the boy. For just as hard as it was losing Cameron those two months before, he felt a hole in his heart where Tony used to be.

Finally, when House was driving back to the boy's home, they became quiet.

"Okay," House began. "You've got something on your mind. Say it."

Tony looked over at his dad a long moment. "It's just. . .when we left, I didn't believe mom when she said you were making out with that–woman. But then she told me about the emails so I guess I started to believe her. But now, we know the emails weren't from you–but you never denied meeting her in your apartment or making out with her."

"I was "not" making out with her." He put the car in park and shut off the ignition after he pulled up to their garage. "Other than that–I won't say it isn't any of your business–because it is. But I will say that I won't discuss it with you until you're older."

"Dad, that's bullshit and you know it. I know what sex is. I may not have participated in it yet–but I certainly know what making out with a female is."

"I know you "know what it is."' But you don't know "why" it is yet. Hell, I don't even know." He looked back at the boy again. "Just know that I want you and your sister back home with me and your mother, okay?"

Tony stared at him a long moment then opened his door and got out. He met House at the front of the vehicle and they walked inside.

"Nine-thirty, Tony," Cameron said as she was feeding the baby again. "Shower and then bed."

Bill Cameron was sitting in a chair, reading his newspaper when he saw them come in. Upon seeing the intense look in House's eyes as he looked at his daughter, Bill folded his newspaper and stood up, motioning for his wife to join him as he mounted the stairs behind their grandson.

House moved to the end of the sofa next to the rocking chair that Cameron was sitting on. He half sat/half leaned on it's arm as he faced her. She still refused to meet his gaze until he reached down and pulled the receiving blanket from her, fully exposing her right breast as his daughter hungrily suckled her meal. Slowly Cameron's eyes moved up to meet his.

"You kissed her," she said quietly.

"You're still defending that Australian bastard," he countered.

"If Robert didn't do any of this. If he wasn't involved–you could be ruining his future. You have no proof that he was involved in this in any way. I, on the other hand, know and knew what kind of a person Stacey Warner is. And yet, "you" kissed her."

"Don't sit there and try to defend what the little son-of-a-bitch did! At the very least, he stole my chance to witness my daughter's birth. He stole her first seven weeks of life from me. I don't want to hear about his future possibly being ruined. Look what he's stolen from me!"

"You don't know that! You "do" know that Stacey was behind it–and yet you don't bring her name into it. Instead–you were about to make love to her. You know, I never liked her. Granted, I never gave her much of a chance because I loved you even while you were chasing after her like a dog chasing a poodle in heat, and she was flaunting it all over the hospital while still going to her husband's hospital room to hold his hand. But I've got to give her this much. She certainly knows how to make men jump to her command. All she had to do was call you that morning and you were ready to give up–not only me, but Tony and your unborn daughter as well."

"And you don't? All you had to do was crook your finger and Chase was in your bed!"

"You were with Stacey at the time! Don't tell me you weren't! Everyone knew you slept together! How do you think that made me feel? And you didn't care–all you cared about was your queen. But I thought that changed. I really did, I believed we were important to you. But all Stacey had to do was call you and you were ready to give everything up for her."

"Then why am I not with her now? Why am I here, trying to convince you to come back home?"

"I–don't know. But I know what I saw."

"No you don't. All you know is what you "thought" you saw. If you would have been there two seconds later–or even stayed two seconds longer–you would have seen that I turned her away. She kissed "me," Allison. Yes, I'll admit I let it happen. I'll even admit that I stayed in the kiss longer than I should have. But I will "not" admit to wanting to make love to her that day. I won't even admit to "making out" with her as Tony put it. I was only trying to exorcize a demon. That was all."

"I wish I could believe you," she said quietly as she looked back to the floor.

"So do I."

She maneuvered her now-sleeping daughter then pulled her shirt down to cover herself and looked back at him. "No, Greg, I mean I really "want" to believe you. Most of me does believe you, but I can't help remembering. I don't want to remember–but it's there. It's in my heart."

He picked his child out of her arms and stood up, waiting for Cameron to do the same, then walked toward the stairs with her. They entered Cameron's bedroom and put the baby into the crib. Cameron tucked the child in then turned to see that House had already removed his shirts. She watched him take off his sneakers and socks, then his jeans. She went to her bureau and pulled out a nightshirt but he walked over to her and tossed it back into the drawer. She looked at him with a little fear in her eyes, not completely trusting her heart, but allowed him to undress her until she was simply wearing her panties. Together they got beneath the sheet and comforter and he took her in his arms, allowing her to set the pace.

"Come home with me, and never leave me again."

She raised herself on elbow and looked down at him. She swore she could see his very soul through his exquisite blue eyes. She didn't know how long it would take for her broken heart to heal, or how long until she could trust him completely again, but it was clear that she had to try. Without him, she was empty. With him, she was beginning to feel whole again. She leaned down and kissed him gently, then rolled on top of him and moaned softly when he placed his hands on her rounded bottom. He squeezed it and pulled her against him.

"Yes, we'll come home with you."


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

"You're back!"

Chase's exclamation turned Foreman's attention to their boss and Cameron as she pushed their daughter's stroller into the conference room. Foreman immediately met them as they entered and after giving Cameron a quick hug, he bent over the stroller and started goo-gooing and gaa-gaaing but stopped when House reached out with his cane and tapped him on the butt.

"No baby talk. If you want to talk to her, talk diagnoses. She's a genius–can't you see that?"

"Oh, stop it," said Cameron as she picked her infant up and brought her over closer to Foreman for him to investigate to his heart's content. "We talk baby talk, don't we Sandra. Yes, we do. Yes, we do."

"Can I hold her?" Foreman asked with an eager glint to his eye.

"Of course," Cameron smiled and transferred her into his arms.

Chase, though, was keeping his distance. After his initial shock at seeing Cameron, he faded into the background as he repeatedly glanced from his laptop to Cameron and her child, then closed his laptop, lifting it into his arms as he tried to move around them and out the conference room door.

"Where do you think you're heading, my little kangaroo?" House stopped him as he moved into the doorway.

"I had some labs I needed to get done." He looked at Cameron as she glanced up from watching Foreman play with her baby. "It's nice to have you back, Allison. It will be nice to have you in the office again."

"Thank you, Chase, but I'm only visiting the hospital. I won't be ready to come back for a few more months yet."

"Yes, of course." He attempted to walk around House but his path was blocked again. "House, I really need to go draw those labs."

House watched how Chase almost hugged his laptop against his chest as he stepped aside and allowed him to pass. He watched the blond doctor as he went down the hall and turned the corner, knowing he was going to somehow find the answers he needed.

"Oh my God! Let me see her!" Squealed Cuddy as she pushed past House, and took the baby from Foreman, cradling her against her and practically eating the child up with her eyes. Foreman continued blowing raspberries and making other odd sounds as he looked over Cuddy's shoulder at the baby. "Ohh, she's such a beautiful baby. Aren't you a little princess? Yes you are. Just a little beauty queen. Uh-huh."

Before House could even regain his footing appropriately he was being pushed aside again as Wilson reached around him and squeezed through the doorway. He went to Cuddy's other side and reached down to put his finger inside the baby's grasping hand.

"Well, looky here," Wilson chuckled. "You're quite the looker. Good thing you don't look like your old man, over there. This is all Cameron-beauty."

"Oh, I don't know," Cameron spoke up as she watched the three of them doting over her baby. "I think I can see a bit of Mrs. House in there."

"Well, she's definitely got her daddy's eyes," Cuddy observed.

"Oh, she's going to be a heart-breaker, this one is," Wilson remarked.

"You already are a little heart-breaker, aren't you?" Cooed Foreman.

"Come on, people! Stop spreading your "idiot" germs on her!" House snarked.

"Oh, don't listen to him," Cuddy told the child. "He's only complaining because no one's ever called him a little beauty-queen."

"That's not true–your husband calls me that whenever he's feeling romantic," he countered.

"House," Wilson complained, then went back to trying to get little Sandra's attention. "Here, let me hold her awhile."

Cuddy brought the baby up to her mouth and kissed her, then handed her to her husband, watching as he and Foreman sat in neighboring seats and continued to entertain the infant. She looked over at Cameron a moment then slowly walked to her and put her arms around her.

"It is so good to have you back," Cuddy pulled back and looked at her, her eyes a bit glassy. "I was so worried about you."

"I'm sorry to have put you through that," Cameron told her as they moved to the opposite side of the table and took seats. "There was just no way I could have stayed."

"I know. I know. We're still trying to find out who did this, but so far they've covered their tracks remarkably well. We will find them eventually, and when we do, they'll be in danger of being terminated as they were tampering with hospital equipment. I wish there would be something we could do about Stacey, but she hasn't done anything illegal. She only sent emails to House."

"Oh," Cameron said in frustration. She glanced at House who was now leaning heavily on his cane as he stood near Wilson and Foreman smiling slightly as the two men continued to captivate the baby's interest with their rendition of the Itsy Bitsy Spider. "I don't want to talk about that woman. It seems she can do absolutely anything she likes–and she never suffers the consequences. She always walks away smelling like roses."

"I know," Cuddy sympathized. "But you're back now, that's what matters. I've been so lonely since you've been gone. I was counting on our weekly trips to Babies R Us and the mall. You know, I still need to pick out a crib and nursery set."

"You haven't picked them out? You only have nine more weeks. Haven't you even seen anything you've liked."

"Yes," Cuddy laughed. "But House's mother bought it for you."

"There's no rule that says we can't have the same style of furniture," Cameron smiled at her. "But, we still have time. We can go on Saturday, if you like. There are a few things I want to pick up for Sandra."

"Ohhh, I'm so glad you came back." She gave Cameron another quick hug then leaned back in her chair as they both watched the men arguing over the lyrics of the Farmer in the Dell. "Things are going to be much better around here again."


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

House entered the building and waited for his accomplice to arrive. He sat on the steps that lead up to the second floor apartments and kept an eye on his watch, impatient for his friend's arrival. Finally, the front door opened and closed quickly as Wilson found House.

"Are you sure you can get in?" Wilson asked as he followed the other man up the stairs.

"As sure as I can be about these things." They walked down the hall until they came to the last door, then House stood back and looked at Wilson. "Go ahead. Kick it in."

"Yeah–right," Wilson sighed as he moved toward the door with a credit card and slid it into the jam. At the sound of a snap, he looked stricken. "Son-of-a-bitch! That was my gas card! Now I'm going to have to wait three weeks for them to send me a new one!"

"You couldn't have used a card that you don't use everyday, could you? Something like your triple A card!" House pushed past him and pulled a key out of his pocket and inserted it into the lock, opening the door immediately.

Wilson looked at him, flabbergasted, and asked simply, "Why?"

"Just wanted to see if you could do it."

He flipped on the wall switch and closed the door behind them. He moved into the living room and glanced around, quickly finding the object he was in search of. He took the seat in front of the desk top computer and went directly to the emails. He started with the most recently received messages labeled swarner.

_Robert,_

_Have you deleted those emails yet? I can't tell you enough how stupid it was to transfer them to your home computer. What if they find out about them? They will surely suspect you were tampering with Greg's computer at the hospital. _

_S. _

Preceded by. . .

_Robert,_

_I wouldn't be in such a hurry to fly to Illinois to beg your little friend to come back with you. Give it a few more weeks. She quite clearly isn't going to forgive Greg for still being in love with me. I'd wait until Easter, then surprise her with a visit to her parents' home. It will give her more time to forget about Greg and be receptive to your proposition. I, of course, won't have to wait quite so long. I'm sure Greg has forgotten about his little fling with your girlfriend and is ready to come back to his senses. Thank God Mark understood when I explained that I only went to Greg's apartment because he threatened to come here and confront him about his feelings for me._

_S._

And before that. . .

_Robert,_

_Things are looking very promising. I can't believe you can't see that. Your girlfriend is finally away from Greg, thank God. And Greg is almost ready to come back to me. I find it amusing how he became so enraged and locked me in his bedroom simply because I haven't left Mark yet. Keep your composure and we'll all be fine in the end. It may take some time. But I know Greg. He'll be begging for forgiveness before you know it._

_S._

"Well," Wilson stood behind House's chair and read the emails also. "It looks like you've got your proof. At least for yourself and Cameron. I don't know that they'll do you any good legally, he can always say they are the rantings of a madwoman–which they are, actually, even if they do have a grain of truth behind them."

"Yeah. I've got my proof," House said then looked at the door when he heard the sound of keys being sorted.

"What time does he usually get home?" Wilson asked.

"Does it matter?" House got to his feet and moved to stand next to the entrance.

The door opened and Chase entered the room, his eyes going immediately to the light coming from the computer screen, then to Wilson who was standing next to it. It took only a moment to put two and two together as he immediately turned and tried to run back out the door. House's cane came down in front of his feet, tripping him and sending him sprawling halfway in and halfway out of the apartment. House reached down and grabbed him by the back of the jacket and yanked him inside, closing the door before the younger man could attempt to run back out again. By the time House turned around, Chase was already on his feet again and swinging his fist. It hit House in the face and threw him back against the door. House shook his head to clear it, then charged him. They both flew onto a coffee table and smashed through it to the floor. House held onto Chase's lapels, then brought his fist back and slammed it into his face. He was bringing it back again when Chase grabbed a broken table leg and brought it down against House's side. Chase rolled House off of him and was about to bring the wood down on House again but it was grabbed mid-air by Wilson.

"Huh-uh. Play fair," Wilson told him as he twisted it out of his hands then stepped back and allowed the fight to proceed.

"Get out of here, Wilson! This doesn't involve you!" Chase yelled at him.

"No, it involves me, ya son-of-a-bitch!" House hit him again, sending him flying back near the door. "You slimey little fuck! Who the hell gave you the right to interfere with my life? With my family?"

"She could have been mine! You could have kept the boy. Allison and I could have started our own family." He tried to turn and crawl for the door but House tackled him again, turning him onto his back as he beat him repeatedly in the face. Chase reached up and grabbed House by the shirt and yanked him down on the floor with him, eager to retaliate with a vicious attack of his own. "Don't you get it, you crazy old fool! She could have been mine!"

Chase barely had time to hit House twice before the older man tossed him off, grabbed his shirt front, and proceeded to hit him until the young doctor's head hung limply to his side.

"House." Wilson put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "House, that's enough. Let him alone before you go too far."

House looked down at Chase and let him drop to the floor, seeing that he was still conscious but lost the capacity to fight back anymore. "Stay away from us, you little bastard! If you ever try to interfere with my family again, I won't bring Wilson along to stop me. I'll break your fucking neck."

Wilson helped House to his feet then handed him his cane and followed him out of Chase's apartment. They walked to their cars silently, both knowing nothing needed to be said between them. They would drive back to Wilson's office and he would clean House's bruises and cuts then send him home to Cameron. He would tell his wife that they had found proof that Chase was behind the email exchange, although he knew that proof would be gone once Chase was capable of deleting everything from his computer. He doubted it mattered much anyway.

House walked into the kitchen and grabbed a beer out of the refrigerator. He then moved into the living room and sat on the sofa, put his feet on the coffee table and rested his head with his eyes closed. He heard Cameron enter the room with him and put their daughter in her bassinet, then walk back over and look down at him.

"I had a little bit of an accident," he told her.

"I know. Lisa called and told me what to expect when you got here." She placed a cool cloth on his face where his bruises were beginning to swell.

"Are you mad?"

"I'm not pleased," she sighed. "But you did what you felt you had to do. Now we need to leave it be and go on from here."

He pulled her down against him and put his arm around her as she snuggled close. He would hold her well into the night.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

House stood in front of the judge. He wore a blue suit and looked quite charming actually, even with the yellowish-green blotches that were left over from his fight with Chase. Cameron stood at his side. Her formal ivory-colored dress with lace bodice hugged her slim-again figure. Her hair was clipped up in a loose bun with soft tendrils framing her face as she looked stoically at the man before them. Wilson and Cuddy stood behind them, both listening to the judge as he spoke to House while Tony sat off to the side, chewing his fingernails as he held his sister.

It didn't take long; no more than fifteen minutes, actually, and they were finished. House took a deep breath and looked down at Cameron. She smiled reassuringly at him as a tear slid down her cheek. He wiped it away with his thumb then leaned down and met her lips with his. She put her arms around his waist.

Wilson let out a deep breath as he took a step back. "Well, that's it then."

Cuddy dabbed her eyes with a tissue. "Finally. It's been a long time coming."

"You "will" survive this, House," Wilson smiled at his friend as he put his arm around his wife's ever-growing waist.

"James! This is the best thing to happen to him and you know it!" Cuddy scolded her husband.

"So, it wasn't too painful, was it?" Wilson asked.

"Not so bad," House answered. "It's something I could get used to."

"I hope you mean you'll get used to the actual marriage–and not the wedding part–because this is the only one you're going to have," Cameron spoke up.

The six of them moved their party to an Italian restaurant where they further celebrated the union of Dr. and Dr. House, then after transferring baby, diapers, bottles, diaper bag, etc., to the Wilson car, along with one fifteen-year-old-son, the Houses went home to celebrate their wedding night.

It was late spring; a warm evening, and House had his jacket and tie off with his sleeves rolled midway up his arm. His top three buttons were undone as he sat on a chaise lounge on their bedroom's balcony. Cameron slowly exited their bathroom and saw him through the open doorway, then moved to stand to the side of him. He let his gaze move up her bare legs to her thigh-length chocolate satin negligee with it's cream-colored lace top and spaghetti straps, then up to those green eyes that had first attracted him to her. He stubbed out his cigar and took the last swallow of brandy before placing the snifter onto the floor next to them.

"Wow!"

She sat at his hip and opened his shirt further, pulled his t-shirt up, and ran her fingers through the sparse hair that covered his chest and belly. "I could say the same thing about you."

He smiled gently at her as he ran the back of his fingers across her cheeks then put them behind her neck, pulling her toward him for a kiss.

"Come here, we'll watch the sun set." He pulled her onto his lap until both of her legs were draped down along the right side of his hips.

"Wrong side of the house," she chuckled. "The sun rises on this side. Anyway, the sun went down half an hour ago."

"Okay, then we'll just fool around." He wiggled his eyebrows at her, bringing another smile to her lips before she sobered and placed both hands on his face, pulling him to her as she opened her mouth and allowed him to press his tongue inside.

He let his fingers slide over the satin of her negligee, down over her back and over her hip, onto her thigh, then back up again. As he ran his hand down over her shoulders and down her arm, she shivered with delight. Their fingers intertwined again and again, each taking pleasure in the feel of the other. He brought his hand back up her arm, up to her shoulder then down to her breast where he squeezed and rubbed his thumb over her nipple that hardened immediately. She moaned into his mouth as he gently pinched the stone-like pebble before moving her strap down over her shoulder and sliding his hand inside. She allowed him this pleasure as he continued fondling her breasts as their mouths and lips mated. When he removed his hand from inside her bodice she moaned again, this time in disappointment, but as his hand slid down over her side and her buttocks, rubbing them and enjoying the texture of the satin, her disappointment turned to intoxication. She delighted in the way his hands cupped and stroked her bottom, then traveled down her thighs and onto her calves. He massaged her legs, stroking their smoothness until he came back to her negligee, sliding his hand under it and between her thighs until he met with the fabric of her matching panties.

"Mmm, nice." He mouthed as he continued sliding his tongue into her mouth, sucking and lapping at her with hunger.

She spread her legs to him as he pressed his fingers down the top of her panties and found the nub that was already throbbing. He circled it and stroked it until she was writhing on his lap, panting against him and whimpering as he was bringing her close.

"Greg, lets go in on the bed," she breathed against him as he continued his ministrations beneath her satin panties.

"Not yet." He held her close as he continued kissing her and strumming her. "I want you to come, right here."

Cameron clutched at his arm, mindlessly pulling at it. He re-maneuvered her on his lap and moved his hand until he was going up her leg opening where he thrust two fingers into her very core and she groaned her acceptance, her hips bucking against his hand as she ended their kiss, burying her face against his neck as she pulled on his shoulders. When he began moving his thumb over her clit and alternately sliding his fingers into her, she bit down on his neck as he took her over the edge into an explosive climax.

He looked down at her as she lay limply in his arms. When she leaned back and looked up at him he almost drowned in the depths of her green eyes.

"Now, it's my turn," she growled softly.

He laughed at her as he leaned his head against the back of the chair and spread his arms in invitation. "Be my guest."

"What do you want?" She asked mischievously.

"Don't you want to surprise me?"

"No. I want you to tell me what you want first."

"Okay." He watched her get off his lap and turn to face him as she stood before him. "I've got a hard-on that feels like it's made of blue steel. Take care of it."

"Lets take this monster out of hiding, first, alright?"

She knelt on the floor and reached for his belt and then his pants, opening them and gently pulling his shaft from its confines. She glanced up at him, running her tongue over her lips then looked back down at his immense size. He lifted his hips as they both worked his pants down to his thighs. He watched as she dipped her head and kissed the tip of him, the sensation of her lips on his head causing him to jerk spasmodically.

"Lie on the chair," he instructed her. Lie between my legs. I want to watch you."

She ran her tongue over him and sucked him into her mouth then stood up and leaned over, meeting his mouth as she ran her tongue over his lips. He opened his mouth to her and sucked her tongue inside while at the same time, running his hand up her thighs and stroking his fingers inside of her again. She started riding against his hand as they continued their kiss, but pulled away as she stood erect while he kept his hand in place.

"Oh, God, stop or I'll stay here and won't do what you want," she breathed heavily.

He chuckled as he leaned his head back again, still watching her closely through half-lidded eyes as she moved to lie on the lounge's bottom half and put her arms around his thighs and hips. She looked up at him and smiled provocatively then placed her fingers around him as she brought her mouth down, bringing a loud groan as he watched her lips go around his bulk. He could never tire of watching her do this to him. An angel's face, doing this, was a turn on–the fact that this angel was his children's mother about blew his mind. He moved his hands to her hair, allowing her to set her own pace as her silky locks slid through his fingers. He watched as she would take as much of his massive size into her petite mouth as she could, which was very nearly all of him. He watched as she slid her lips and tongue from the base to the tip, grazed her teeth against him, sucked his tip and then would take all of him into her mouth again.

"Ally," he moaned, his pleasure mounting as he never took his eyes off of her. "You're so fucking good."

Now he was growing close and he couldn't stop his hips from bucking against her, but she took it in stride as she increased her pressure and speed, knowing what he liked and how to make him shout in ecstacy with his release. He could feel it coming as she pressed against his base and he spread his hand on the back of her head and held onto her as he came.

"Ahhh, Jesus Cameron!" With this, his eyes closed in a grimace and when he opened them again, his breathing still ragged and irregular, he watched as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and proceeded to crawl up his body until she was straddling his lap and looking into his eyes.

"Like that, did ya?" She asked smugly.

"Mmm-hmm," he chuckled again, "you know, you're really pretty good at it. I think I'm gonna enjoy this "marriage" thing."


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

"Greg, I'm going to make you happy."

Stacey's voice resonated through his brain, bursting his eyes open from his deep sleep. Damn! It had sounded so real! He felt a chill go down his spine as he sleepily wiped his hand over his stubbled face. He looked around the bedroom as the morning sun filtered through the balcony's door. He looked at his wife of the past two weeks as she slept cuddled against his side with her hand lying across his chest. He pulled it up and kissed it, then hugged her to him a little tighter. She roused slightly to glance at him then kissed his chest and nestled into her favorite spot and went back to sleep. He hoped he could find sleep that easily. He had at least another three hours before his usual rise, even though he knew Cameron would be getting up in an hour or so to feed the baby. Finally, after dry-swallowing two Vicodin, he drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

House was having an unusually bad day as he worked around Foreman and Chase. Everything irritated him. He was having regrets about his "agreement" with Chase as he glanced into the conference room at the younger doctor's now-crooked nose. It had been decided that Chase would not bring charges against House for breaking into his apartment and physically attacking him, as long as there would be no record in Chase's files about his tampering with hospital equipment, thus not only protecting his future prospects of employment, but also keeping his job at PPTH for now.

"So when are you scheduled for surgery?" Foreman asked Chase as they sat at the conference table.

"Not soon enough. I can't stand looking in the mirror anymore."

"Well," Foreman got to his feet and headed for the doorway. "I can't imagine it will be pleasant. A nose job always sounded rather disagreeable to me."

"I don't care how "disagreeable" it is. It can't be any worse than having it broken in the first place." Chase followed him out of the room and disappeared down the hall as they went to work in the clinic.

House picked up his oversized tennis ball and rolled it between his hands. He didn't expect any more trouble with the little prick, but just to stay on the safe side, he had Cuddy, Wilson and Foreman all keeping keen eyes on him. If he so much as sneezed the wrong way, he would be told about it in a heartbeat. He didn't care if the idiot worked around him anymore. Not since he noticed that he jumped every time House came near him. There was no point hiding his fear of the older doctor, and he made no attempt to. Instead, they worked on the cases as they came, and then would try to ignore one another the rest of the time. Just so he had a full understanding of his lack of a relationship with Cameron, House could almost tolerate the situation–almost. But that didn't mean he was going to make it easy on the wombat. He knew how to antagonize Chase and would use that power without hesitation.

As he rolled the tennis ball back and forth, his eyes moved to the photo on his desk and a peace filled inside of him. She really was a beautiful baby–he had to admit that. And she seemed to have taken to her father immediately. Now, at four months, she was very talented at lifting her head while on her tummy, and if he was in the room with her, she made a point of searching until she found him. All it took was a tiny grunt or squeak and her father lifted her to soothe her temper that she was beginning to show.

He suddenly had an overwhelming urge to talk to Cameron and see what they were doing. It was odd, actually, he never felt the urge this strong before. He leaned back until he was half-sitting on the edge of his desk, facing the conference room. He was just reaching for the telephone when he heard that voice again.

"Hello, Greg."

He felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. He turned away from the telephone and looked at Stacey as she stood in his doorway. He couldn't believe the way she smiled at him, after all that she had done, she looked at him with such smugness–such confidence.

"Stacey," he said dumbly. He never expected to have to face her again. It didn't take long for his shock to turn to irritation. "What are you doing here?"

"I," she said as she came through the door and let it close behind her, then moved closer to him, "was in the area and decided to stop in and see if Lisa wanted to go for lunch. She was busy, so I thought I'd stop down and see James. I saw you as I was passing by. I wanted to see how you were holding up these past few months. You're looking well. Our little spat must not have been too much of an inconvenience."

"Spat? Inconvenience? Our "spat" was no inconvenience to me at all."

"Good. I'm glad to hear it. Although I thought you were being a bit irrational when you locked me into your bedroom."

"I hope Mark rescued you before you got too hungry."

"Mark was there within the hour. He sped the whole way. But then that's Mark for you; always so eager to please; always–too eager." She took a step toward him. "Not like you. You always had your self-pride."

"Not always. Sometimes too much self-pride can be crippling." He remembered how he had repeatedly begged for Cameron's forgiveness over the weeks after she returned home. "Sometimes a little self-depreciation can make things stronger."

"Greg, I know you're still angry, but that was always when we were at our best, wasn't it?" She moved up until she was standing between his legs and ran her fingers along the front of his shirt as if trying to straighten it for him. "I think we fought most of the time just so we could make up. Didn't we?"

"I think you better go."

"Come on, Greg. Let's not be mad anymore. I can understand if you felt you needed to stay with "her." I know what it means to be tied to someone by guilt." She moved even closer, until her thighs were brushing against the front of his pants. "Please, Greg. Lets go have lunch together. We can talk over old times."

"Stacey." He turned his face away from her.

"Come on, you know you want to." She rested her hands on his waist, then leaned in to whisper. "Mark need never know."

"And what about Allison?"

"What about Allison?" She leaned back and looked at him. "I told you, I forgive you for your fling with her."

"My fling?"

"Mmm-hmmm," she murmured as she reached up and placed her lips against his. "I know it was only your way of getting through the hard times after I went back to Mark. How can I hold that against you?"


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Cameron was pushing the stroller from the pediatrician's office in the direction of the Diagnostics Department. She and Tony had taken the baby for her four-month vaccinations and were about to cross the lobby of the clinic when they literally ran into Chase as he was coming out of an examining room.

"Oh, excuse me," Chase said as he turned to look at the stroller he had bumped into, then moved his eyes up to the person pushing it. "Cameron! I mean–Allison."

"Chase," Cameron said uncomfortably. "How are you?"

When Chase turned to look at them, Cameron's eyes widened at the disfigurement of his nose, while Tony snorted his amusement.

"Nice nose there, Doc," Tony smiled at him. "What happened? You walk into something?"

"Yes, I walked into a door," Chase said snidely as he looked at the boy with disdain.

"More like my dad's fist," Tony mumbled under his breath.

"Tony, that's enough," Cameron admonished. "I'm sorry, Robert. Tony shouldn't speak to you that way."

"Allison," he started then glanced back at Tony. "Can we talk privately?"

Cameron sighed deeply as she looked at her son then back to Chase. "Robert, I understand you want to tell me things that would be uncomfortable in front of Tony, but I have to be honest with you. I really don't want to and shouldn't hear them. I'm sorry you got hurt in all of this. I'm sorry you had to resort to what you did. But I'm not sorry for loving House. I'm not sorry for ending my involvement with you."

Chase looked in the stroller at the little girl who was playing with a set of plastic keys, quite content as she listened to the voices above her.

"I thought she could have been ours, Allison," he whispered then looked up at her with his heart in his eyes.

"No, Chase. She couldn't."

"I thought when you found the emails and saw them together, you would come running back to me. I never expected you to run all the way to your parents' house."

"Chase." She put her hand on his arm in sympathy. "You weren't what I needed. I needed family and security–not someone on the rebound."

"I know that now. I'm sorry, Allison, I really am. Can you forgive me?"

"Yes. I can forgive you."

"Ah, Mom!" Tony blurted.

"Tony, please." She looked back at Chase. "But I cannot say that we'll ever be friends again. What you did to us, disrupted our lives. And not just mine and House's, but Tony's, my parents' and even to a certain extent, Sandra's. Trust comes with friendship–and I'm saying that the trust isn't there."

Chase simply looked at her and nodded his head, then looked away. He nodded again, then left her there as he went back to the nurse's station for the next patient.

"I don't get it, Mom. Why did you give that guy another chance? You know if Dad finds out he's going to be pissed," Tony said as the elevator lifted them to the floor above them.

"I didn't give him another chance, Tony. I simply forgave him. There is a difference. I won't be involved in his life at all. And he won't be involved in mine. I have a feeling that your father already convinced him of that."

"I hope so. The guy's such a bloody twit to begin with," Tony told her as they started walking down the hall. When his mother stopped abruptly in front of him, he turned his gaze to the couple in his father's office. "Ooo-kay."

"That–on the other hand–I cannot forgive," Cameron ground out between her teeth and began hastily turning the stroller around, but Tony grabbed her arm as he kept his eyes on the two people who appeared to be kissing.

"Now wait a minute." He turned her back to look at them. "Give him a minute. Don't go running back to Gram yet!"

Cameron reluctantly turned back and watched her husband and his ex-girlfriend.

House put his hands on Stacey's forearms and pushed her from him. He studied her eyes closely, looking for something to explain all of this, afraid to find what he suspected.

"Stacey, I can tell you that right from the very beginning of my relationship with Allison, you rarely entered my mind–and when you did–it was because "someone else" mentioned you."

"Don't be ridiculous, Greg. You were shattered when I left, and she stood in the background, just waiting for the opportunity to pick up the pieces. She was pathetic the way she would follow you around like a little puppy dog. Her and those damn green eyes of hers that were always searching you out–always looking at you as if you were a God!" She tried to move back to him again, but he maintained his pressure on her arms as he held her at a distance.

"But, Stacey. . .if you saw all of that–why couldn't you see that I was looking at her the same way?"

"No–you weren't. You looked at me like that. You can't deny it."

"No. I can't deny it. And when I think of the pain I put Allison through, I'm ashamed that I fell into your trap."

"I don't want to talk about this." She paused as she tried to think of a new angle. "Greg. You know we belong together. Otherwise, you wouldn't have practically stalked me when Mark was in the hospital. Otherwise, you wouldn't have come and met me at your apartment last winter. I could see it in your eyes, Greg. You wanted me. You would have taken me right there if your little chippie hadn't shown up."

"But you planned it that way. You had the timing down to almost the exact second. You wanted her to find us together. Tell me something, Stacey. If you really believed I still wanted to be with you–why did you set Cameron up? Why not just meet me and go on from there?"

"Because I know you, Greg. I know you feel responsible for that boy. You just needed a little coaxing."

"Stacey, you've got to leave." He stood erect but she loosened her arms and moved them around his neck.

"Stop it, Greg! I'm getting tired of this game you're playing. Now that you don't have to worry about Cameron and her son anymore, we can get back to what's important to us."

"STACEY!" He had had enough. He pulled her arms from around him. "You're so goddamn self-centered! You're so blind! THEY are what is important to me. There's nothing there anymore! Couldn't you feel it? The only reason I kissed you last winter was because I had to prove to myself that it was over! I didn't want to hurt Cameron by some day wanting to look up a lost lover. But it was over! There was nothing there! Couldn't you feel it? Nothing!"

"You're insane! You wanted me as much as I wanted you that day. You can't deny it! I know you want me!" She looked at his expression that was bordering on revulsion, then tried another tactic. "At least she's back with her family. They'll take care of her and her son."

It was at that moment that Tony decided to make his entrance, casually walking into the room as his mother entered behind him with the stroller. House turned to face his family, disappointment spreading across his features as he feared they would immediately make the wrong conclusion. But there was no anger on Tony's face as he looked at his father, only amusement. And when he looked at Cameron he saw a gentle understanding that filled him with relief. It was over. He knew he was forgiven for his actions all those weeks before. Sandra, on the other hand, wasn't quite as forgiving as she let out a scream that rang throughout the office.

The sight of such peace covering House's face turned Stacey's attention behind her as she gasped. "What are you doing here? I thought you were in Chicago–or wherever you ran off to."

House moved past Stacey and pulled his baby out of the stroller to soothe her crying, turning the woman's eyes to him in shock. As usually was the case, once in her father's arms and hearing his voice, Sandra settled down and lay her head against his chest as he kissed her hair. She looked at the dark-haired woman with little curiosity, turning her attention to her brother, instead, who was making little waving motions with his fingers.

"Hello, Stacey," Cameron said stiffly as she continued to stand behind the stroller. "I think you must have been misinformed. Tony, Sandra and I stayed with my parents for a few weeks, but Greg brought us back with him."

Stacey looked back at House with anger flaring from her eyes. "You never told me you brought her back to live with you again!"

"Allison and I are married," he told her simply.

"But, I thought we were going to. . ." She made a gesture with her hand.

"Eww! That would be like making out with your mother or grandmother or something." Tony remarked as he wiggled his eyebrows. " That's really disgusting, Dad! Like–eww!"

Stacey moved with a speed that amazed everyone, her hand cracking against Tony's face with a strength that nearly knocked him down. "You watch your mouth, you little bastard! If I wanted to I could make your father get to his knees and beg to be with me!"

Tony's hand went to his cheek as he slowly turned to look at the woman. Anger and hatred finally seeping through his expression as he took a step toward her. "Son-of-a-bitch!"

"Tony! No!" Cameron was standing between them in an instant. "Your father and grandfathers would not approve of you hitting a woman. No man should ever have to resort to that. I–on the other hand, am not a man." She grabbed Stacey's forearm and gripped it tightly, holding it up in front of her. "Do not–ever–strike any of my children! Or I can promise you, you'll regret the day you every laid eyes on Greg's "little chippie!" Do I make myself clear?"

"You think you're so special right now, don't you?" Stacey sneered at her as she yanked her arm away. "He'll dump you! He will leave you! You're such a naive fool!"

"Tony, take your sister," House told his son as he stepped closer to the two women. Tony pulled her from his father's arms and moved back from the group of adults.

"And you are nothing but a dried up old slut who can't take no for an answer," Cameron smiled brightly at the older woman.

This brought another swing, this time hitting Cameron's face--and another swing that caught her again. Before Cameron had time to react, House had Stacey pressed against the glass wall with his forearm across her chest as he grasped onto her, much the way Cameron had been holding her previously. His gaze moved to the man who had moved up to stand behind the window where Stacey was pressed, then back to her.

"You even think of striking my wife again and I'll crush your arm." His tone was threatening enough that she stared at him with a feral glaze to her eyes. "If you ever come near any of my children again you'll be picked up and thrown in jail so fast you won't know what hit ya."

"I'm a lawyer! I'll be out before the ink is dry."

"Yeah. I have no doubt. But you'll be able to kiss your law career goodbye. And what about Mark? Think he'll appreciate his wife stooping so low that she'd be terrorizing children?"

"Mark will do as I tell him! He always has and he always will."

"Allison, open the door," House told his wife.

Cameron moved next to them and pulled the door inward, then nodded for the man standing there to enter. "Come in, Mark."

"You're her husband?" Tony asked quickly. "You better take her outta here and straight to a mental hospital."

"Tony! That's enough," House told his son, then released Stacey. He watched as she almost slid down the wall with complete shock when she realized her husband was there–then straighten and run to his arms.

"Mark! It was horrible! He said if I didn't come here today. . ."

"I heard you, Stacey," Mark interrupted. "I know what you said–I know what he said. It's time we leave these people alone."

"But, Mark. . ."

"I'm sorry, House. I really believed her again." Mark looked back at Stacey and ushered her out of the door. "It's over, Stacey. We're going home."

"I think a call to Lisa is in order," Cameron said as they watched the couple get onto the elevator. "She can begin the proceedings of a restraining order."

House moved to Cameron and touched her face, seeing that there was going to be a bruise there. He hugged her to his chest and kissed the top of her head, then they both moved back to their children. They inspected Tony's face, making sure he was alright.

"Well, now you can tell your friends that you were slapped in the face by a woman. You can make it sound sexy." House chuckled as he looked at the boy.

"Yeah–real sexy! Some old quinquagenarian hag beating me up! That's something I'd like to brag about."


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

The morning was calm enough that mid-June day. Cuddy contacted Mark and found that he had taken Stacey home that day two weeks before and tried to calm her enough to discuss their relationship, but she was irate and completely irrational. His only option was sedating her, first with a few drinks, then by taking her to and admitting her to a local "spa" for a much-needed rest. When asked if she would be a menace in the near future, Mark paused a long moment, then assured her that Stacey's "rest" would last several months, at least, perhaps longer.

Cuddy hung up the telephone, got to her feet and started pacing the floor in front of her desk. She was already seven days past her due date. Anything she could do to hurry the arrival of this little one along, the better. She glanced through her door when she saw someone approaching her secretary's desk. She had to smile in spite of herself as she watched young Mr. House flirting with Sarah. At fifteen years and three months, he was nearly as tall as his father, and looking more like him every day. She waited for him to enter to sit in front of her desk and watch her pace before him.

"Lisa, you look like you're ready to explode," he said with compassion.

"Why, thank you, Tony. I always appreciate heartfelt compliments."

"I can give compliments. You want me to give you some? Okay–let's see. You're face is really pretty, Lisa. It isn't nearly as puffy as it was a few days ago. You have great legs, when your ankles aren't swollen. Your hair is . . ."

"Okay–okay, enough. I'll survive quite nicely without any more of your compliments."

"Where's James? I didn't see him in his office when I was down there looking for Dad."

"He went home to get my bags. There was an opening so my doctor scheduled me to be induced around five o'clock this evening."

"We were placing bets that you would have it on Dad's birthday, but you blew that."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you."

"It's okay. I don't think Dad wanted to share his birthday anyway. So, do you know where "he" went?"

"Your father? If he isn't in his office or conference room, he's probably home. It's lunch time. He's been going there for his lunch about half the time these days."

"Shoot! I was hoping he'd be here and run me home. I stayed at my friend, Mike's, last night. We're going swimming this afternoon when his parents get home and can take over watching his younger brothers."

Cuddy looked at his pouty face and as she usually did where this boy was concerned, she gave in to his wishes. "Do you want me to run you home? I'll just let Sarah know I'll be gone for about an hour. It'll give me a chance to visit with your mom and your sister."

"Sure. That would be great, Lisa." He got to his feet and watched as she picked up her purse, taking her keys from it as she walked out of her office and stopped to inform her secretary of her plans.

"I hope your father actually goes home for food–the last thing I want to see is your father in an amorous mood!" Lisa sighed as they got into the elevator and rode down to the first floor.

"Nah, I don't think so. Unless you get offended if he rubs her butt or something. He usually behaves himself during the day."

"That's while you're in view. You're not there now."

"Oh," he said as the elevator doors opened and they proceeded to cross the lobby. "I didn't think of that."

"We'll call when we're almost there."

They walked the rest of the way to her car in silence but when Cuddy sat behind the steering wheel and waited for Tony to get in the passenger's side, she felt a severe tightening across her abdomen. He looked over at her as he sat down, seeing the stress on her face as she placed her hands on her abdomen.

"What's wrong, Lisa?" Tony asked.

"Mmmmm." She shook her head negatively then moved to insert her key in the ignition. "I'm not sure."

"You're not sure?" Tony asked. "You're about ready to pop and you're not sure? Did you have pain?"

"Yes–but I really don't think we need to worry. It takes longer than an hour to get to the second stage of labor. We'll be fine. It will probably do me good relaxing with your mother and the baby."

"Huh-uh!" Tony reached across and grabbed her keys and put them in his pocket. "No way!"

"Tony! Give those back to me! Ughhh!" She said as another spasm squeezed her body. "Oh, my God! That one was hard!"

"See! I told you! You don't mess around with this kind of stuff!" He got out of his side of the car and rushed over to her door, opening it and looking down at her. "What is it with me and cars with pregnant women in them?"

"I think we better get back inside, Tony."

He took her arm and helped her up but they were no more than fifty feet from the car before another spasm hit her and she leaned heavily on the boy.

"Maybe I should get a wheelchair, Lisa," Tony said nervously.

"Just get me inside the doors. There should be one there. Call James, tell him to get here immediately."

"Where's your phone?" Tony looked at her.

"Damn it, I left it in the car."

"Do you want me to go back and get it?"

"NO! Don't leave me!" She gripped onto his hand like a vise.

"What do you mean, don't leave you?" Tony asked worriedly.

"Ohhhhh! Tony, get me to the wheelchair over there!" She ordered as they went through the automatic doors. "Now, up to L and D!"

"What's that?"

"Labor and Delivery."

"Oh. Okay. Wait–where is it?"

"Down here, through that foyer all the way to the back elevators. Take it up to the second floor."

Tony managed to get Cuddy up to the appropriate wing and pushed her inside a department with a row of rooms going down the length of the short hallway.

"Excuse me, who sent you here?" A nurse approached them, with irritation written clearly across her face. "You'll have to take her back down to Admitting before she can come in here."

"I'm not going anywhere! And if you value your job–you better see that I'm in a bed and someone is here to catch this baby or I'm going to have it right here on the floor!" Cuddy ordered.

"Oh, Dr. Cuddy-Wilson! I'll take care of her, Regina," said another nurse who approached them, then looked at Tony. "Bring her in here."

"Call Dr. Wilson and inform him that I'm here. If you can't reach him at his office, call my secretary and have her contact him," Cuddy ordered the first nurse as Tony pushed her into a comfortable-looking room with a bed and monitoring equipment.

"Okay, you take one arm and I'll take the other. We need to get her clothes off and a gown put on her," said the second nurse.

"I'm not taking her clothes off!" Tony told her.

"Are you related to this patient? Only relatives are allowed in here if you're under eighteen." The nurse looked at Tony oddly as if she just noticed his age.

"He's my nephew! Now get this started!" Tony and the nurse pulled her from the chair.

"Don't make me take your clothes off, "Aunt" Lisa!" Tony looked at her with wide eyes.

"No, of course not–but don't go away! Just go look out the window until I'm finished. I need you here until James arrives."

Tony went to the window but continued speaking to her. "You really don't need me in here, do you "Aunt" Lisa? I mean–I already went through this once this year."

"Oooohhhhh! Tony!"

He turned quickly to see that the nurse had her top off and the gown on her arms. She reached for his hand and he immediately took it, averting his gaze as the nurse pulled the rest of her clothes off from the bottom.

"Shouldn't I be out in the hall, like–flagging "Uncle" James down when he gets here, or something." He looked hopefully toward the doorway as his face flushed with embarrassment at the thought of his father's boss standing nearly naked before him. When they moved her onto the bed she let out with another howl and pulled his hand so hard he had to grab the rail to keep himself from falling onto her.

"You're not going anywhere! I need someone I know with me until James gets here! Do you understand that? Now shut up and stop complaining or I'll fire your father's damn ass and he can be a stay-at-home father! How would you like that?"

"Al–right! Fine–I'll stay here!"

"Lisa!" Wilson rushed into the room and went to her other side, taking her hand in his. "I just got back. How are you doing?"

"Well, she's having the baby!" Tony told Wilson. "Duh!"

"He knows I'm having he baby!" Lisa scolded Tony, then turned back to her husband. "Oh James, I'm so glad you're here. I was afraid you weren't going to make it."

Tony watched as she brought Wilson's hand up to her mouth and kissed it, then let out a high-pitched hum.

"Is she supposed to be doing that already?" Tony asked Wilson as he watched her pushing. "I mean–don't you have to wait for the doctor to tell you to do that?"

"What doctor? Do you see a damn doctor anywhere? Go get a doctor!" Cuddy yelled at Tony as she released his hand and grabbed Wilson's hand with both of hers. She turned more toward her husband. "Oh, James. I love you so much."

"Sure–you're all nice to him and you're ready to rip my head off!" Tony pouted as he walked out of the room. "Don't forget "Aunt" Lisa–"Uncle" James is the one who did this to you–not me!"

But Cuddy didn't hear him and Wilson only half-listened as they proceeded to work together and deliver their child. Tony sat out in the hallway and watched as the doctor went into the room about five minutes later, and within another forty-five minutes, heard the first cries of a newborn infant and Wilson's laughter. He got to his feet and paced nervously in the hallway until a nurse approached him some fifteen minutes later.

"Dr. Wilson asked me to send you in." She smiled at him.

"Really?"

Upon her nod, he entered the room and found Wilson holding the tightly bundled newborn, gazing down at her with such pride. Cuddy looked up and saw Tony and reached her hand for him.

"Oh, Tony! I'm so sorry. I don't know what got into me. I didn't mean to take it out on you. You were wonderful, and all I could do was yell at you."

"It's okay, Lisa. No problem." He looked back at Wilson as he tilted the child to show the boy.

"Tony, we'd like you to meet Jessica Leigh Wilson."

Tony nodded his head with a small smile, knowing the little girl had her daddy wrapped around her little finger already. He looked a little closer at the baby girl and noticed that she was a cute little thing, but instead of the blue eyes as he was told almost all babies had when born–they were so dark that they almost looked black. Strange eyes–he thought, deciding they were probably going to be brown like her father's eyes were. Then he thought about his two experiences he had within the past six months and he wondered if he would ever put himself through this kind of hassle. At this point–he doubted it! Looking back at the baby, he thought, she sure has the darkest eyes.


	38. Chapter 38

Epilogue - Part I

June 2027

House and Cameron helped Tony stagger up the boardwalk and paused to speak to Wilson and Cuddy, bringing more than a few stares from other occupants of the wooden thoroughfare along the edge of Ocean City.

"Hey! James! Fancy meeting you here!" Tony yelled upon sight of his parents' closest friends. He reached for Cuddy's hand and kissed it awkwardly. "Lisa. You're a vision of loveliness as always!"

"Tony!" Cuddy looked at him. "You're drunk! You don't usually drink!"

"I know, Lisa," he said as he looked very closely at her. "I don't. And I don't feel very good again, Mom!"

"Sure. Now you want your mom," Cameron said as she and House hurried him over to the side of the boardwalk where he emptied his stomach into the trash barrel again.

"That'sa boy," House patted him on the back. "Better out than in."

"So much for celebrating tonight," Wilson chuckled at the younger man's discomfort. "I think he's done his, as well as our share."

"Well, we still have tomorrow," said Cuddy.

"Have you seen Jess?" Wilson asked House and Cameron.

"Uh–yeah." They straightened their son's posture and headed back toward the hotel entrance. "She's down the boardwalk about a block or so. She's with Dee. I told them to be back by eleven."

"Here, Allison," Wilson took Tony's arm from Cameron and started toward the hotel. "I'll help. I guess if they know to be back by eleven, we might as well head back to our rooms."

The five people rode the elevator to their floor and entered the House's suite to find Jackson and James House both coming in from the balcony, grins pasted across their faces.

"What's with him?" Fifteen-year-old Jackson asked as he walked up to his older brother and looked at his face. "We watched him come up the boardwalk, puking his guts out!"

"What's wrong with him, Mom?" Twelve-year-old James House asked with minor concern.

"He's drunk, stupid," Jackson explained to his brother.

"Where are we putting him?" Wilson asked House.

"In with the boys. He can sleep in one of their beds."

"Nooo! Man! I don't want to listen to him vomiting all night," Jackson complained.

"Fine," House looked at his middle son as he and Wilson walked past him and into the boys' bedroom to lie him on Jackson's bed. "Then you can sleep out here on the sofa."

"Mommm!"

"Just go in your room for now. Maybe he won't be up all night. He'll probably fall asleep soon," Cameron comforted Jackson.

"Fine, but if he pukes one more time–I'm dragging him out!"

"Are you sure he's going to be alright in there?" Cameron asked her husband as he lay in bed watching her slide her satin nightgown down over her body. "I mean, he isn't going to go into alcohol overload, is he?"

"I think he already did–that's why he spewed it back out. He'll be fine now. Next time he'll realize you don't go from drinking once in a while to trying to win drinking contests with the guys."

"You don't think Jackson and James will torment him, do you?" She slid into bed next to him and he put his arm around her as they lay face to face.

"Yes." He slid his hand down over her back to her bottom and pulled her leg up over his waist. "But that's what they do. He'll be fine."

"And what about Sandra? We shouldn't have allowed her to stay out until eleven. I know she's over eighteen, but still. . ." She smiled up at him when he pulled her a little tighter and she could feel his growing excitement. "Oh."

"Yeah–oh."

"But don't you think we should wait up for her?"

"We are waiting up for her. We're just occupying our time until she gets here."

"You always were rather vigorous when here in Ocean City," she giggled when he began nuzzling her neck and pulling her panties down over her hips.

"Must be the sea air." His nuzzling moved down over her chest as he pulled the spaghetti strap of her nightie off of her shoulder. He kissed her breasts then took her nipple into his mouth.

"Must be," she sighed as he rolled over on top of her and she spread her legs around him. "Maybe we should move closer to the ocean."

He laughed as he lifted his head and looked down at her. "Why is it that after nearly twenty years of marriage, you still want me in your bed."

Her hands moved up to caress his hair as she got lost in his blue gaze. "Well, it couldn't be because I feel safe and secure when I'm with you, could it?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

"And, it couldn't be because you are still the hottest thing I've ever seen in boxers."

"They really do it for ya, huh?" He dipped his head for a kiss.

"I think its what's inside the boxers, that do it for me," she moaned as he began rocking against her.

"Tell me more." He nibbled on her lower lip until she lifted her hips and rolled him over onto his back and he started laughing at her.

"Ohhh! Because I love you! I love you! I love you! I love you! There! Now, what do you have to say to me? Why am "I" still in "your" bed?" She sat on top of his hips as she held his hands.

"I like your ass," he said simply, making her shriek until he yanked her down on top of him and she moved onto her side as he leaned over her. "I like your lips." He kissed them. "I like your rack." He squeezed them. "You're great in bed–always were, right from the start."

"And. . ."

"You make me want to live." He rolled on top of her again. "I love you, Allison."

"Maaannn, I'm not going to listen to "that" snoring all night long!" Jackson complained as he balled up some note paper and threw it at his older brother's head.

"You get him up and he's gonna really be pissed!" James warned.

"Ewww, I'm scared. What's he gonna do? Puke on me?" Jackson snickered as he threw another ball of paper and it bounced off of Tony's cheek.

"I don't think he's gonna puke anymore. But he sure is noisy!"

"I don't understand why "we" have to put up with him. Did you see the way he was groping Jessica down on the boardwalk." Another paper ball bounced off his brother's forehead.

"Yeah! Lucky we were out on the balcony dropping water balloons, otherwise you would never have spotted them. She was really going to town with him too. I think she must like him."

"Women!" Jackson threw a beach ball at his brother this time, clearly not understanding how Jessica could favor his older brother over himself. "I don't see what's wrong with dating a younger man."

"That wouldn't be a problem–if you were a man," James laughed at his brother. "You're still a kid, too."

"Shut up!"

"Give me the ball–I want to see if he wakes up if I hit him." James caught the ball Jackson threw at him, then proceeded to toss it across the room and have it land squarely on Tony's chest. "Cool! Let's see what else we can do!"

"Here, give me the ball," Jackson said as he stood within two feet of his oldest brother and bounced it off his head then caught it. This caused a momentary pause in his snoring as he swallowed, then started his lusty roars once again. "Hand me a tissue."

"Why, what are you going to do with it?" James handed the box to his brother.

"I wonder how far he can blow this in the air." Jackson tore a tissue in half and placed it across Tony's mouth as he was exhaling and watched it blow into the air and flutter down next to him on the pillow. "Good lungs."

"Neat! Let me try!" James took his turn and watched it float in the air and land on the other side of his head.

"I wonder if we could get him to cover his whole pillow with them."

"Okay."

Over the course of the next few minutes they watched as over fifty pieces of tissues floated over various parts of Tony's pillow and his face. Finally it got to be too much for Tony as he began flicking at his face in his sleep, causing the boys to sit next to him and chuckle.

"Well, I don't see signs of this ending anytime soon." Jackson threw the tissues into the wastebasket.

"We ought to take him over and put him in Dee's room," James suggested.

"Why? She didn't do anything to deserve putting up with this all night."

"Too bad we can't get him over in Jess's room. "She'd" put up with it gladly, I'm sure." James cooed.

"Heeeyyy! That's an idea."

"What's an idea?" James seemed baffled.

"C'mon."

James followed Jackson out into the central part of the suite then through the door to the hallway. Once they rode down the elevator, they approached the desk that was being covered by a young girl of approximately eighteen years.

"Just stand there and look tired and pitiful," Jackson ordered then turned on all his charisma as he approached the girl, leaning down on the counter and looking at the voluptuous teen.

"May I help you?"

She was staring at those blue eyes and Jackson smiled his most charming smile, looking up at her from lowered lids, then flashing the full power of the "House gaze." He had watched his father and mother do their "eye thing" over the years and had mastered the capability to win over the girls in his high school this past semester. This one might be a year or two older than the ones back home, but he felt it was worth a try anyway.

"Hi. My name's Jack, what's yours?"

"Sierra," she giggled.

"Sierra. That's a beautiful name. Were you named after the mountains?"

"Sort of. My father was a big Bogart fan."

"Oh," Jackson nodded his head as if he knew exactly what she was talking about, but in reality, he didn't have a clue as to who or what a "Bogart" was. "Well, I've got a little problem, Sierra. I was babysitting my cousin while my aunt and uncle went out for a few drinks–and now they've come home," he paused for effect., "and they're a bit under the weather if you know what I mean."

"Yes. We see a lot of that here on the boardwalk," she smiled at him.

"Well, the problem is–they're in bed and we don't want to disturb them, but he's getting really tired and wants to go to his room. Could we borrow the card for their suite?"

"I'll have to verify that its his parents' rooms."

"You don't have to disturb them, do you? They get kinda grumpy when they've had too much to drink."

"No. Just give me some information, like names and telephone numbers."

"Oh, okay. Well, it's Dr. James Wilson and Dr. Lisa Cuddy-Wilson. Their home phone is area code 609-555-1293. Do you want their cell numbers?"

"No. That's fine. Could you return this after you let him in?"

She handed Jackson the card and made an obvious effort to slide her hand along his as she did so.

"Sure," he smiled his sexiest smile. "I'll be back as soon as I put the little termite in bed."

He kept his eye contact with her as the elevator doors closed between them, then he let out a deep breath.

"You're such a turd!" James criticized.

"What?"

"You'd flirt with a dog if it went by."

"She was no dog. She was stacked!"

"You're gross. I thought you wanted Jessica, anyway."

"Nope. She wants our Romeo, Tony–she can have him all liquored up and passed out. Let her see how cool he is when he's drooling on his pillow, snoring loud enough to wake the dead, and scratching his crotch."

"Why don't ya throw in pickin' his nose and farting while you're at it?"

"We should be so lucky. She'll take one look at the condition he's in and go sleep on the sofa. Then she won't be in such a rush to kiss him." He looked at the number on the elevator wall when it dinged, then exited the metal box and looked at the end of the hall. "Grab that luggage cart. It might come in handy."

The boys snuck back inside their suite and maneuvered the cart into their bedroom without making enough noise to rouse their parents. They both moved to the bed and stood looking at Tony who was still snoring.

"Do you think we can do it without waking him up?" James asked.

"I think so." He moved closer to his oldest brother and leaned over him. After studying him a moment, he lifted his hand to his brother's cheek and snapped it with his fingers, receiving no response other than his incessant snoring. "If that didn't get him up–I think we can move him safe enough. Grab his feet."

Jackson pulled the luggage cart over until it was touching the edge of the bed, then grabbed Tony under the arms. He pulled him to the edge and attempted to lower him down, but once his buttocks slid from the mattress, he hit the rack with a loud bang, gaining a groan out of the man.

"Jeez!" James looked around the room with worry. "If Mom and Dad heard that, they'll be over here in a hurry."

"Well, why didn't you grab his feet like I told you to?"

"I did–but he just slipped."

"Put his feet up on the cart. I don't think we have to worry about Mom and Dad. They're probably either sleeping or too busy to come check on a bang in our room." He got to the doorway. "Look out and make sure, anyway."

James did as ordered, then held the door open for him and went for the door to the hallway as well. Once they were across the hall at the entrance to the Wilsons' suite, they paused again.

"What if they're still awake?" James asked.

"I doubt it. It's 10:30. You've spent the night at their place before. They're never up after 9:30 anymore. They're as bad as Mom and Dad. But. . .let me open it slowly and I'll look around," he whispered as he moved to the door, slid the card through its locking mechanism then inched it open as quietly as he could manage. "Okay, lets take him in."

In a flash, the two culprits had the cart inside Jessica's room.

"How did you know this is the room Jess is staying in?" James asked as he closed the door behind them.

"I heard her talking to Dee about it. Anyway, there are her clothes."

"Now, how are we going to get him on the bed?" James moved to the end of the cart that held Tony's feet. "We had a hard enough time just letting him fall onto the cart. We'll never be able to lift him up onto the mattress."

"We don't have to," Jackson smiled, then gave a quick shove to his oldest brother, landing him on the floor at the side of the bed. He pulled the cart back out of sight quickly as Tony moaned again and moved his hand to where his head had thumped onto the carpet.

"What. . ." Tony started.

"Tony!" Jackson whispered loudly, then shook his shoulder until Tony finally opened one eye and looked at him.

"Hey, Jack. What are ya doing?" Tony smiled lopsidedly.

"Tony, you fell out of bed. Get back up before you wake up Mom and Dad. They'll get really mad at me for letting you fall."

"No, they won't. Don't worry about it, Jack. I'll let them know you wouldn't let me fall on the floor like that. It was an accident," he slurred.

"Okay. But be quiet so you don't wake them up."

"Hey, Jimmy," Tony said happily as he crawled up onto the mattress and saw his little brother standing at the foot of the bed. He reached out and grabbed the young boy and pulled him into his grasp to give him a noogie. "How ya doing, kiddo?"

"Tony! Don't!" James pulled away from him and in the process Tony fell back on the pillows. "You know I hate that!"

"I know," Tony smiled as James grabbed his feet and pulled them up onto the bottom of the bed. "That's why I do it."

The two younger boys watched him laugh to himself then quickly fall back to sleep. They looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders then stuck their heads out the door. Seeing their coast was clear, they removed the cart and James waited as Jackson headed back downstairs to return the extra card. With a few promises to see the clerk again soon, Jackson returned to their floor and he and James rushed into their suite.

"It is now 10:50. Do you mind telling me where you two were? I thought I told you to keep an eye on your brother tonight." House stood at the bar with a beer he had just opened.

"Oh-my-God!" James said with such a start that he actually landed on his rump.

Jackson seemed to turn a shade paler than usual as he looked at his father. "We were watching him," he lied. "He's out like a light. We went down to see if we could find Dee."

"You were out on the boardwalk by yourselves at this time of night?"

"No. We only went to the hotel lobby. We waited around for about fifteen minutes, then got bored so we came back up here."

"No more going out without telling us! You got that? I catch either one of you outside this suite without us knowing about it and your ass is grounded."

"Yes, Dad." They both moped and went back into their rooms. After closing the door, they high-fived one another and dove onto their beds, waiting for the excitement to begin.


	39. Chapter 39

**Epilogue - Part II**

Jessica was disappointed, to say the least, as she parted ways with Dee in the hall, then made her way back to her parents' suite. Although they had had a good time, she had her mind on other things–or rather other people. She entered the suite, noticing that her parents evidently were in their room. She went to the bar and got out a diet Pepsi, then went to the main television and turned it on. After flipping through several stations, she realized that watching television would do her no good.

She wished she could see Tony again. If only to see him, it would help relieve some of the tension she was feeling inside. She couldn't believe her luck when she saw him on the boardwalk earlier that evening–and the fact that he noticed her, made her pulses race. When he kissed her, she thought she would climax right on the spot; her coils were that tightly wound! But then his parents found them together. It was a good thing her mother and father weren't the ones to find them. Poor Tony would have been hearing the lecture of his life–from both her mother and her father. But they didn't, and up until they were separated, their kiss was heavenly. Just thinking about it was making her body react. She needed a warm shower. She entered her darkened bedroom and picked up her nightie she had at the top of her suitcase then went straight into her bathroom. She stepped into the large walk-in shower, adjusting the water stream and letting it heat her tired muscles.

Tony awoke to the sensation of the room spinning around him. As he lay there with his eyes closed, the sound of the shower in the next room filtered in. He wondered why either of his brothers would be taking a shower at this time of night and glanced over at the other bed. It was empty and as he looked at his watch he immediately wondered where his brothers would be at midnight. He slowly got to his feet and held onto the wall as he made his way to the bathroom's doorway then stopped in his tracks as he watched the silhouette of a beautifully shaped woman. It was amazing how something like that can sober one's thoughts. He shook his head and wiped his hand over his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things–then he glanced back out to the darkened bedroom and verified that he was indeed alone with this vision of loveliness. In all of his thirty-four years, he didn't recall ever getting an erection as fast as this, just from staring through the misted glass at her. He watched as she held her hair to the top of her head as she let the water beat against her shoulders and upper back. Slowly, he moved to the shower door then yanked it open.

Jessica jumped back against the back wall of the shower, letting the stream of water flow between them as the intruder looked on from the bathroom's tiled floor. She didn't know what to cover first as her hands moved in different directions, finally settling on attempting to cover her breasts with her left arm and hand while dropping her right hand to cover her lower portion.

"What do you want?" She asked quickly, then recognized him.

"What are you doing in my brothers' shower?" Tony asked, grabbing a towel and flipping it in to her, allowing her to cover herself with it.

"This isn't your brothers' shower! They're across the hall–in their own suite where they belong!"

"So–you know them, do you?" He asked, letting his eyes adjust to her loveliness as the steam started to filter out from between them.

"Of course I know them! Don't be ridiculous."

"Wait–a–minute." He looked at her face more closely, not really paying much attention to her answer. "You're the girl from the boardwalk. You kissed me."

"Yes," Jessica gulped. "But you kissed me first."

"How old are you?" He asked with suspicion.

"Nineteen–going on twenty. Anyway, you should know how old I am."

"You're the one with the eyes," he scrutinized.

"I should hope so," she said, beginning to get exasperated with him as she turned off the water and attempted to walk past him into her bedroom so she could get dressed, but on her way, he grabbed the towel and gave it a small yank. "Give that back!"

"Not until you answer some questions." His eyes began to sparkle with mischief as he let his gaze wonder over her body, a well-rounded body that he found more than just attractive. "And for every answer I don't approve of, you have to do something for me."

She grabbed her nightie that was lying on the bathroom counter and tossed it over her head, then retreated back into her bedroom as he slowly prowled after her. She could have died of pure delight just from the sight of him with his white button-down shirt opened nearly all the way to his waist, his black trousers that showed the off his slimness but also emphasized the muscles of his thighs and rounded buttocks. His hair was slightly messed from his sleep and activities of the evening.

"Something–like what?" She asked nervously as she bumped into the wall behind her.

"Huh-uh." He shook his head negatively. "I ask the questions here. The first being, whose room is this, if it isn't my brothers'?"

"It's mine. Who else's would it be?"

"Okay. I'll let that one go. Now, how did I get here?"

"Well, how would I know?" She asked as she watched him reach out toward her and pull her against him.

"Nope, now that answer, I didn't like. Now, you have to. . .kiss me."

Jessica looked up at him briefly. It was as if all her dreams were coming true! She had been infatuated with Tony for as long as she could remember–at least since she last saw him when she was a freckle-faced pre-teen with braces. Of course he was very gentlemanly and considerate of her when he noticed her–but that was rarely. At that age, he was just moving to Virginia Beach to start his position in the Emergency Department and had more important things on his mind than a twelve-year-old with a crush on him.

"Alright," she said quietly then leaned in against him and tilted her head up as he bent down to meet her lips with his.

He moaned into her mouth as he pressed his tongue between her lips and although she hesitated momentarily, she responded with her own tongue, dipping it and swirling it past his teeth. He had only meant to tease her with a quick kiss then go on with his questioning, but their kiss turned his semi-erection into a full throbbing hardness. He slid his hands down over her back, taking a delight in the satiny feel of her nightie as it fell over her voluptuous bottom. He squeezed it as his mouth continued to mate with hers and he pulled her against his pounding erection. He ground his hips against her and moved his mouth down to her throat, licking and sucking at the tender spot where her neck joined her shoulder.

"I'm tired of playing games," he stated.

"Me too," she sighed against him as he leaned her back against the wall and lowered the front of her nightie until her ample bosom spilled over the top.

"Oh, sweet, Jesus," he moaned as he lifted the object of his instant desire and squeezed it as he pulled her nipple into his mouth. His other hand held her waist and pressed her where he wanted her to be. "You are a goddess!"

Her hands were cradling his head and she was more than glad that he had her pressed against the wall or her legs would have given out on her. When he moved to her other breast, he moved his hand down until he was under her nightie and he immediately went to the soft curls at her apex. She moaned as she leaned his head back against the wall and felt his fingers work their magic on her.

"Oh, God! Don't stop!" She breathed against the top of his head.

She wanted this more than anything in her life and wasn't about to stop him. Instead, she reached for his buckle and unfastened it, then unbuttoned his trousers and slid his zipper down. She pressed them down over his hips and reached her hand inside his boxer-briefs and felt his throbbing heat beneath her fingers.

"Mmmm, that's it, sweetheart. Pull it out." He pushed his pants down over his hips as she held onto him and squeezed his massive size. "Son-of-a-bitch! I want you more than I've ever wanted anyone in my fucking life!"

He lifted her right leg and waited for her to position him for entrance, but when she hesitated, he put his hand over hers and moved until he was about to press inside of her.

The light that exploded throughout the room stilled both of their actions as Tony tried to shield the woman in his arms from the intruder behind them. It was the voice that followed that turned him around with such speed that he didn't even think to cover himself–a part of himself, in fact, that upon sight of the woman, shriveled in an instant.

"Oh my God! TONY!" Gasped Lisa Cuddy-Wilson.

Tony blinked at the glare of the brilliant light, trying to look at the woman in the doorway as he held the girl behind him. He didn't even have time to see Wilson enter the room or the fist that met with his jaw, knocking him onto the bed.

"Get up ya son-of-a-bitch!" Wilson swore at him.

When the younger man moved to try to sit up, Wilson hit him again, this time coming in contact with his right eye. In the meantime, Jessica managed to cover her exposed parts and ran after them, putting herself between her father and the man she loved.

"Daddy! Don't! We didn't do anything!"

"What do you mean you didn't do anything? We saw you!"

"No! Well. . ." For all of Jessica Wilson's intelligence, she looked at her father stupidly. "You interrupted."

"That's it! Get up!" Wilson yelled at Tony again.

Tony leaned on his elbows as he looked from Lisa to James, then to Jessica. He was still trying to analyze the situation as he gingerly touched his face with his fingertips. He watched as Lisa left the room and headed for the telephone.

"Lisa? James?" He asked quietly, then looked back to Wilson. Then it was as if a light bulb flashed on in his mind as he looked back at Jessica with wide eyes. "Jess?"

He immediately pulled his briefs back in place and fixed his trousers, moving away from her as fast as he could until he was standing near the bottom of the bed.

"Tony? What are you doing?" She asked.

"Jesus Christ! Jess! I didn't know it was you! You're only a goddamn kid!" He looked back at Wilson. "James–you've got to believe me! I would have never. . .I mean–she's only a kid!"

"I thought you knew!" Jessica seemed to pale. "I told you how old I was!"

"Yeah! Well, that was fine when I thought you were just some. . .body else. But Jess, you're only a kid!"

"Stop saying that! I'm not a child!"

"You keep your mouth shut, young lady! I'll deal with you later!" James pointed an angry finger at his daughter.

"What the hell's going on in here?" House's voice boomed as he came through the suite and stood in Jessica's doorway with two mini-Houses in tow, both staring wide eyed at their disheveled brother and the other, scantily clad, target of their practical joke. "Tony, how the hell did you get over here?"

"I–don't know. I woke up in her bed. The last thing I remember is falling out of bed and Jack helping me back up," he said as Jackson and James started backing away from the doorway, but House blocked Jackson's path with his cane and he grabbed James by the back of his pajama bottoms. "What the hell did you two do to me?"

Neither wanted to answer until a quick swat with the cane on Jackson's shin and a tug on twelve-year-old James' pants opened their vocabulary.

"We didn't want to put up with your snoring all night long!" Jackson told him.

"Yeah–so Jackson figured that since you two were groping each other on the boardwalk–she'd want you to sleep with her, no matter how gross you got!" James agreed.

"You allowed him to grope you on the boardwalk?" Lisa asked her daughter sternly.

"No!" She said with her head held high. "He wasn't groping! I was." Upon realization of what had just come out of her mouth, she lowered herself into a neighboring chair, wearing an ill expression.

"That's it! You're going to a convent!" House said half-heartedly.

"Nice try, Uncle Greg. But, we're Jewish!"

"Shut up, House. How can you take this so lightly?" Asked Wilson.

"I'm not taking it lightly, Wilson. But, Jesus, it was a misunderstanding that got out of hand. Evidently you and Cuddy stopped them before it had gone too far."

Wilson looked at House a long moment, then looked back at Tony. He walked up until he was standing directly in front of the young doctor.

"Tony, I love you as if you really were my nephew–but I swear to God–if I ever see you near my daughter again, I'll see that you'll never be capable of reproducing. Do I make myself clear?"

"Daddy!"

"Jessica! Not another word!" He turned back to Tony. "I said, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes. Of course. Believe me, James, I have no intentions of . . .well, with Jessica. I really didn't recognize her! I mean, the last time I saw her–she was just a skinny little kid." He looked at Jessica, letting a bit of appreciation break through in his voice. "But, she's really grown. Man, has she grown!"

"TONY!" Wilson yelled at him.

"Yes! I know! I'm sorry. I'll leave now."

Wilson watched him make his way past his father and two brothers, then looked up at House. "We'll be leaving in the morning."

"But, Daddy!" Jessica complained but was silenced with a glare from her father.

House merely nodded his head in acceptance of Wilson's decision, then turned and followed his two youngest sons from the room.

"Boy, that was a brilliant idea!" Jackson whispered to his younger brother. "Let Jessica put up with him! Just our luck, old Tony boy wakes up with a hard on the size of Florida!"

"How do you know what size his hard-on is?" James asked, receiving a slap in the back of his head as an answer from his fifteen-year-old brother, for which Jackson received the same treatment from his father as they were entering their own suite behind Tony.

"You little pricks can sleep out on the sofa!" Tony scolded as he went into their bedroom and slammed the door.

"Don't slam the damn door!" House said too late. "You two–not one more sound tonight! I'll deal with you in the morning after I fill your mother in on what happened. I can guarantee she isn't going to be a happy camper, and you both can expect to be grounded for the rest of the summer."

Tony woke early the next morning, having had trouble sleeping after he went to his brother's bed. He went out to the sofa and scooted his brothers back into their bedroom to finish their sleep for the night. He made some coffee and drank several cups as he watched some news on the television. He could actually hear when the Wilsons left across the hall–he had been listening for it all morning. He felt like a heel and knew better than try to apologize to Wilson and Cuddy now. He would give it time and hopefully they would come to understand that he would never do anything to harm them or their daughter.

He moved to the balcony and stood looking down at the Wilsons' car as the valet brought it around to the front. He watched as the bags were loaded and James moved to the driver's side and Lisa got in the front passenger's seat. Then he watched the little beauty as she moved toward the back. She turned her head and looked straight up at him and he stood there looking at her. She turned back and got into the car. Tony thought about the beauty of those large brown eyes and the taste of those sweet lips. He remembered other things about her that he knew he would be better of to forget. He watched the car drive away then he turned back inside, wondering if that was possible.

THE END


End file.
